Over 40 Mosquito Bite Itch Relief Tips

It’s mosquito season and I have buffalo sized ones zipping around the backyard as I type this.

Thanks to their first feast on my ankles tonight and an earlier comment from Kim, I was inspired to dig through every tip I had regarding mosquito bites and relief from the itching. Scritch Scratch.

I haven’t tried most of the suggestions below, but I’ll note which ones have worked for me.

Here are more than 40 tips organized in one neat file, each bullet point is a single method:

Household Items:

Rub a bar of soap over the itch. I just tried this (Ivory soap) and the relief was near instant. I used a dry bar of soap directly on the skin, but I also have notes that you can spritz with water first and then run bar of soap over area–or use a wet bar of soap.

Place a piece of scotch tape on the bite; or dab rubbing alcohol or ammonia on the area first then stick on a piece of tape.

Hot water: Take a hot shower, or a hot bath, or apply a hot compress. As hot as you can stand it without burning you.

Ice cube, ice pack or very cold water

Dabbers

The quicker you can apply one of the remedies below, the faster the relief. These are topical suggestions, apply directly to the area.

Nail Polish

Strong tea mixed with rubbing alcohol

Toothpaste (works for me)

Mouthwash

Vinegar (apply directly or take a hot bath with 2 cups of vinegar in the water)

Honey

Underarm deodorant (solid or roll-on) – apply directly to skin

Rubbing Alcohol

Ammonia

Bleach

Tea: Use a hot tea bag or a cotton ball soaked in hot tea to dab on skin

Paste Applications

Mix these fresh then apply as soon as possible. The consistency should be nice and thick so it won’t run, yet will still stay in place on the affected area. You could also spritz bite with water then apply grains/powders directly (generously) and rub them in.

Baking Soda & Water (works for me)

Meat Tenderizer & Water

Salt & Water (works for me)

Epsom Salt & Water (could also do this as a foot soak if it’s the ankle/foot area affected)

Tums Tablets: crush and add a few drops of water

Aspirin: crush then add a few drops of water

Aspirin – crush then apply a few drops of rubbing alcohol

Commercial Product Lotions, Creams & Applications

*Apply directly

Calamine Lotion

Benadryl Cream

Orajel

Anbesol

Caladryl

Vicks VapoRub (works for me)

Preparation H (works for me)

Lucas Papaw Ointment

Tiger Balm

Bag Balm

Gold Bond Medicated Cream (or the Gold Bond Medicated Powder)

Mylanta (heartburn relief product)

After Bite

Essential Oils

Apply full strength. Edit: There are concerns about using essential oils on children and pre-teens, especially repeated use.

Notes

If a remedy doesn’t provide fast relief, don’t despair. Give it another try, sometimes it will take 2 or 3 applications before it kicks in.

The itch is a reaction from the saliva of the mosquito that it injects into you as it feasts on your blood. There are several dozen different species and you may react to some species bites more than others.

If large swelling occurs (like welts), contact a doctor or pharmacist for suggestions (especially if it’s a child with a strong reaction). It could be an allergy to the bite. It’s important to watch the throat for swelling and get treatment asap.

What Readers Are Saying:

I’m not sure what Patrick Kennedy is talking about. My husband is US Army for 20 years and hasn’t ever seen or heard of that stuff (we checked out the link). He’s been in mosquito infested areas as well, and for extended lengths of time I might add. If any US military service would use it, it would not be due to how well it would work, but how low the bid was for the contract. The truth is, they do not much care if soldiers itch or not.

That said, I was going to suggest one missed in the post under commercial products. I often use Chloraseptic ®, or a generic equivalent. It works especially well just after bites, when it is most uncomfortable. You can either spray it directly onto the area, or a better way is to apply it with either a cotton ball or Q-tip. I’m a nurse myself and this is my favorite way of dealing with it. It’s great because you can carry a tiny container of the solution with you for fast and instant relief.

*admin edit: magnoliasouth is referencing a comment that has since been deleted

I have always used Burt’s Bees chapstick and other products, and they always work, so when i saw that Burt’s Bees made “Bug Bite Relief” i tried it, and it works wonders!!! It gives you instant relief and it comes in a tube like chapstick. you just wind it up apply and wind it back down and its small, so its carry size.

Thnx sooooooooo much! I will definatly try it! Im willing to try anything to get these darn bug bites off! BTW: does any1 have any more suggestions besides what they have already coverd? If u do i would really appriciate it!

ps:The hot bath does stop the releaf for a while but i suggest that u try doing the cold bath before the hot one!

We make a box around the bite, as soon as the itch began. With a finger nail, edge of a coin, etc. Anything that will make an indentation. Our doctor would use a circle with a pen method as a marker to see if the infected area became larger than the circle, if it did a prescription was necessary.

I’m outside a lot during the summer, so I always have Mosquito bites. Right now I have 20-30 bites, so if I drew circles around them, I’d look like freaking Spongebob, haha. I’ll try this before getting in the shower. Hope it works.

the reason for this one is not to relieve the itch in the same way as the other ‘remedies’ listed here. circling the bite with a pen is just a way of scratching to relieve the itch of the bug bit without damaging the skin and causing possible infection. nothing about the ink is supposed to be medicinal.

I do this all the time! Mostly to remember where NOT to scratch and keep a count of how many bites I have. After an impromptu night by the pool, ny total is 19, 13 on my toes alone. Its 336am as I’m writing this, wide awake because of the itchiness. Benadryl usually works. But with so many so close, it hasn’t done much. I tried toothpaste for the first time, the cooling sensation help, but was short lived. I then decided to wash the toothpaste off with HOT running water, and it calmed them enough to draw my circles. Most of them have remained calm, but a few are still raising hell on my toes. Another round of Benadryl, and socks to keep me from tearing my skin while I sleep.

I’ve found that if I cut open the bite, and squeeze out the saliva that the mosquito leaves behind, there is instant relief. I just did that earlier today. Just make sure you use a sterile point to puncture the bite, to prevent further infection. ; )

Great minds think alike. I’ve been itching so much it seems that’s all I can think about is just slicing,(sterilised instrument) into the red bump and dabbing an antiseptic into it. I’ve got some Tea Tree and TCP oil so I’ll try either one and see what happens. Hope the minor surgery works for me too.

By the way, I sliced the skin, very slightly, with a sewing needle. Two or three pricks into the red bump and out comes what looks like puss. Dab the Tea Tree Oil and in a few seconds no more itching. Don’t forget to sterilise whatever you use.

I put the needle point dipped in a alcohol and use it on the bite to take out the liquid. Then put a piece of surgical tape on it to protect the area. Scratching the surface and squeezing makes no pain at all but takes sometimes for the success. Or directly put the needle in the liquid area and let the liquid comes out. Either way, one pain and no more itchiness.

I don’t cut myself or poke myself with a needle, but I do squeeze the bite until the pussy stuff comes out (so it does break the skin). It sort of scabs over after, but it’s the easiest and fastest relief I’ve found.

ahaha have you tried aloe vera? you can pick it straignt from the bush, just use the moist gel and rub it on, once or twice a day, normally gets rid of iching. make sure you cut the spikes up first, as if they get in your ski the spike a bit… ahah hope this helps!!!!XD

Cutting it open relieves the itch. Then put an antibiotic to heal the cut. Problem is, the healing process also itches. Their is an old saying, don’t scratch or you will open old sores. Just don’t scratch. It eventually goes away.

oatmeal bath, baking soda in your bath water, or a cap of bleach in your bath water (not for kids) also take the itch away. i have also found that using a scrubbing pad to bust it open then pour rubbing alcohol over a rag then pressing it firmly to the site.

I have 42 bites, 34 of them are spread out on both my feet. I have tried it all, the cold bath and hot, Cortizone lotion, right now they are covered in toothpaste with baking soda and in socks…I’m also waiting for my pain killer to kick in. I did make a salve using baking soda + warm water + lavender oil and that seemed to help. I just ran out. This is horrible. I’m also adding prayer.

LOL! I know it sucks my face looks like someone bashed me up! My eye is purple because of a mosquito. Where I got my bites? I got it because my friend forgotten To close the door at night. Anyways, I got a mosquito bite on my ear too, it’s soooo red You might not read this but I’m doing it for others

yes bedbugs do exist and they are one of the worst things ever to exist there up there with fleas (hate those things) they are nearly impossible to get rid of i thought dont let the bed bugs bite was just a saying i learned the hard way

Mosquitos find me wherever I go, so I Used Off! this morning on most of my body. Wouldn’t you know it, they found the nape of my neck to bite me! So I tried toothpaste…didn’t really work for me. Then I looked on my desk and saw hand sanitizer. It worked like a charm to stop the itching!

this is for those who can stand the short amount of pain and that smoke.take a lit cigarette and hold it as close as you can with out touching the skin,when it starts burning you take it away and the itch should be gone.been doing this for years and it works.

The hot bath can be upgraded with the addition of an oatmeal addition. Run the oatmeal through a coffee grinder to turn it to dust and add about 1/2 cup to a tub of hot water. Sit for about 20 minutes and your done with the itch.

i feel better just knowing I am not only one with over 50 bites but the burn remark made me think of the best home remedy tip I was ever given. Tea bag. REALLY u don’t want to apply it hot but u do want to have it seeped so I keep a used one handy and run it under cold water then press to burn. If used not available quickly run one under hottest sink water squeeze n run under cold water b4 applying.unbelievable how instantly pain disappears.9 of 10 times if caught early snuff won’t even blister. Grandma told me that at 9 I am 53 n I swear by it. Now my Skeeter bites aren’t itching as much cuz my mind was off it. Oops scratch that

I return to this website yearly to catch up on the latest mosquito relief tips. I have a new one for you this year. In desperation this year I tried an Antibiotic Cream WITH PAIN RELIEF. To my amazment it worked with in 30 seconds. And the bites I had scratched bloody, well they healed quickly. It seems to work for about 12 hours and them I just apply a dab again. It really works well for no-see-ums also. Almost all of the pharmacies have their own brand of this product.

Natural Mineral Water is the best, if you are fortunate enough to live near them. The higher the silica content, the better it will work.

Hot mineral water (springs) works just as good as cold mineral water.

Go to the nearest mineral baths and get in, all the way, head and face included. (Warning: may cause changes to artificially colored hair).

The mineral water opens up the pours, draws toxins out through the pours and exfoliates at the same time. Not to mention how good you feel and look after a day at the mineral baths.

Bring a few empty gallon jugs to fill up while you are there so you can treat yourself at home, where you can either pour the water into a container to soak a body part, or pour it into a bowl and use a clean cloth to keep pouring it over your bites.

Hot Epsom Salt baths and other packaged mineral bath salts are a good alternative but pale in comparison to the real thing. It is true, the water should be as hot as you can bear it, for best results, if you don’t have access to mineral springs.

I have been suffering from mosquito and flea bite allergies all of my life. It totally sucks. The older you get, the worse it affects you. The itching never stops, sometimes for weeks. The itching can make you a bit psychotic. The psychosis itself causes more (imaginary) itching.

Then there are the infections: Staph and Impetigo (a close relative of leprosy, I am told), which doesn’t mean you have to be living in a tropical or subtropical climate, it’s just in the dirt, everywhere, the weather needs to be warm, that’s all. Once you have a Staph infection, it lives on your skin, forever, so you will always be prone to get it again.

Then there are the scars, which can take weeks, months, even years to go away, some never do.

Most of you who have visited this site realize, you cannot put some triple antibiotic cream on a band-aide and call it good. For me, after an attack, it would take hundreds of band-aides, changing them twice a day, until they are gone. We don’t just get one or two bites, do we? Once they find us, we are attacked! Everywhere and anywhere!

Then, the adhesive on the band aides, after prolonged use, adds insult to injury, because the adhesive can cause a skin reaction. Just perfect!

Mosquito bite allergies are horrible, high maintenance, expensive and feared, during the time of the year you should be having fun.

The best place to spend your summer vacation, if you suffer from this, is at a Natural Mineral Bath or Springs, Spa or Resort. Most of them cost money but the good ones usually have a sauna and a place to jump into cold water after the sauna to close the pours. Then go back to the mineral water, sauna and cold water again, do 2 more rounds. If you are at a spring with a bathtub, you don’t have to empty and refill it between rounds, because the power of the minerals doesn’t disappear.

If you can find a local, they usually know how to access areas of the mineral waters for free. Get ready to do some walking though. There are natural mineral springs all over the world. Remember, the higher the Silica content in the water, the better it will work. Not all mineral water has to stink. In fact, the best mineral waters don’t. Still, if stinky (sulfur smelling) is all you can access, do it! It’s all good.

You won’t regret it, even if you don’t suffer from this disturbing condition. The mineral baths can make you look and feel 10 years younger!

There are books that contain the locations of all the known natural mineral springs around the world. Most mineral springs, open to the public or known, usually have the water evaluated each year and post the results, showing the amounts of what natural minerals are in the water, at that particular spring.

Also, keep your fingernails cut as short as possible, at all times and wash your hands, scrub with a nail brush, every time you have an itch. Before you scratch, look down at those dirty fingernails first.

If you can’t resist the itch, use a vegetable dry brush (get one at your local health food store). Never get it wet and don’t let anyone else use it. That way, you get to scratch the itch, in a healthy way, without doing damage to your skin.

Mineral Baths and Dry Brushing works for all ailments, all bug bites, all skin problems and anything else that may be wrong with your health.

And… this is the best remedy you will find for mosquito bites on this link!

Yeah, mosquito’s really suck and DEET rocks! I don’t care what the purists say. You do what you need to do.

I just got a couple whopper bites on my wrist. Buggin’ the heak outa me. I do appreciate those who say this worked or that worked. I’m thinking of trying the toothpaste shortly. If it works I won’t be back. Why come back? Got what I wanted. NO?

I’m also suffering with a bad mozzie allergy. Unfortunately I got bitten two nights ago only three times, twice on my left foot and once on my right. But right now at this point in time I feel lie u am going INSANE from the intense itching that covers both my feet. My right foot is almost twice it’s size…. The left is the same. I can hardly walk at all – I am laid up with my feet up with ice packs. I have never found anything that relieves it. I actually just applied some hydrocortisone cream… And then put Paraderm plus over the top of that to see what would happen. But still pure itchiness that’s actually starting to burn and feel very stingy. I won’t be doing that one again. I think that if you have a tel allergic reaction, then the only thing that relieves it us time unfortunately.

Hi Ruthie. I know just how you feel. Since moving to the States, I’ve become allergic to mosquito bites too. The bites swell up flat but large and a big blotchy red/pink area surrounds each bite. The itch covers a big area around the bite. Hydro Cortisone does almost nothing to relieve the pesty itch. Neither does Ammonia stick, witch hazel, alcohol rub, lemon, vinegar, etc. The only things that seem to work for at least several hours are taking a regular hot shower, and then rubbing some Aloe Vera after sun Gel (like the green Solarcaine gel, found in Walmart) on it lightly and lots of it with a cotton ball. Try not to use your finger to rub it on, I’ve found that I itch less quicker when using a cotton ball instead. Walk less. It seems that walking increases bloodflow into the bite area which makes the itch flare up again.

The section on Staph is incorrect. EVERYONE has staph living on their skin. That includes me, you & every other person on earth. The risk of getting it again is no more than anyone else. That being said, anyone with an open “wound” should be careful that it’s kept clean & appropriately “dressed”.

I use to use skin so soft from avon and it does keep them off of you. I know this, cause when I was using it, never got bit by anything. But once I stopped using it, I got bit like crazy. Now I make sure I have a good supply of skin so soft on hand at all times!!!

SSS from AVON works wonders. The OFF WILDERNESS Stuff does not. I tried OFF for the first time because I was out of the AVON… and was ate up after a hike. I never have that with the SSS. So go with the AVON. As an added bonus the AVON even comes with sunscreen in it. So if you have little ones, and need to double up… it is good to use.

Mosquito tencture Don’t do chemicals? Four tips and a wilderness solution So what if your camping or outdoors and you don’t have the benefit of these chemicals. Try the milk sap from Dandelions, pulverized evergreen cones and boiled pine sap, Dandelion sap is natural latex (with out the properties of rubber tree latex) it protects the skin and prevents the skin from releasing CO2, pine irritates Mosquitoes, and disinfects skin. Ratio: 1:20 1 part saps by 20 water,oil, or alcohol (vodka included or not). Mosquitoes are attracted to exhaled breathe or CO2 and (octenol),body heat, moisture, movement, and dark colors. Mosquitoes show a preference for Nonanal a chemical they detect through smell and other odors they find attractive. Mosquitos land on the body and begin probing for (rarely lucky with the first attempt) a vein, cappullary, or artery approx. 10secs ea. attempt. As blood goes in the mosquito, Histamines and other biological agents are released from the mosquito.This is what causes pain, swelling, and disease. Why so many things work for different people is because they do one or a combination of these four things: Obstruction of the this process means prevention and relief. Tip 1 protect the skin Tip 2 irritate or block Mosquitos stinger Tip 3 disguise odor Tip 4 disinfect, use anti histamine

Hello, i get eatin alive by mosqutoes all the time yr around.if i spray evrywer but forget my face theyll bite my face its horrible. when i was reading the tips i saw the one that said nail polish and i thought it said nail polish REMOVER ha so i tried that and actly that works as well. at the moment i hav around 10 tiny bits all over my anckles and 3 er 4 wipes of the remover relieved the itch in a matter of minutes. thanks for the tips ur a life savor to ppl with sweet blood lik me xD!!!

lol wen i was in second grade. my teacher said wen u use the nail polish, its best to apply the clear one for some reason. and it will work best if applied b4 u scratch it :).its only spring and there r mosquitos EVERYWHERE! I have always been an outdoor person but, those stupid pesky mosquitos….anywayssss the dry bar of soap worked 4 me. i also drew a circle around the bite with a black pen and it works awesomely!

The best is obvioulsly to avoid bites. I was a camp counselor in college. We used to get the fire going in the evenings then throw some wet wood or leaves on it to get things smoky. We’d stand in the smoke. We were rarely bitten. You could throw the same smoky sweatshirt on for a few nights and do okay. But when you do get bitten, why is it always the ankles?

LOL, Trey, Preparation H (CREAM) also works for dark circles & bags under the eyes! I heard about it & tried it during a pagent I was in. It really works! It reduces swelling & puffiness. Gotta use the cream though, not the ointment!

Thank you soo much. I am deffinatly going to try these. You have lots of good ideas here. I hope they work. I have 19 mosquito bites just on my knees, then on my feet, and 2 on my neck area and a lil on my hands. It is craazy and thanks for giving me treatment ideas

Clay This is the common substance that comes out of the ground. Add water, enough to make into a past, then smear it on. If it dries out, repeat the process throwing away the old. It really works with some relief almost immediately. (Also works for burns)

I tried tea tree oil, cortisone 10, rubbing Alcohol, deodorant, aloe, soap and iced tap water, none of these worked for me. I got so desperate I took a bar of ivory soap down to the lake and was my legs in ice cold lake water and it worked. Something to do with lakes, streams, any natural water that does wonders for healing.

thank you sooo much!! my bite on my arm was like 4 inchs long and wide! it was so itchy i couldnt help but to itch it .( till it was red.) i used bendryl cream and it NEVER WORKED! but then i looked it up on google and found your 4o mosquito bite, itch relief tips.lemon juice,baking soda and water, green tea bag, salt and water, and rubbing aochol. it worked! that was one relief! It stings for like 10 seconds, but hey, it works! thanks for the cure! p.s right now it is really hard to type because i have an ice pack on my itchy arm:)

i found that circling the bite with a pen helps with swelling i went on a nature trip a couple days ago and i got 2 bites on my right arm and like 18 on my legs for me if i don’t start scratching them in the first place they don’t itch i also just try not to think about them you know distract myself but when that don’t work i circle it with pen and for some reason if i wait it makes it stop itching and swelling

My 7 year old was playing outside and had 20 bites on her legs. I looked at may suggestions and thought I would try the baking soda..when I heard her say Ahhhh I knew I had a winner she said it felt so much better I noticed she was not itching. I am so glad it worked. Nothing is worse then seeing your daughter uncomfortable. All natural and always avail.

I did not have any over-the-counter remedies on hand when I got bitten about 18 times, but what did work for ME (after reading this article) was to apply rubbing alcohol and then toothpaste. I also showered twice a day to re-apply because they lost their effectiveness after about 8 to 10 hours. Thank goodness it was a Friday night so I could spend the weekend not worrying about the toothpaste getting through or on my good clothes.

Thank you SO MUCH to tipnut for posting this. I was desperate & my local pharmacy was closed!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you.

* (C A M P H O-P H E N I Q U E) * is what you all need to get PERIOD… Mom used it on us kids some 50 years ago and I still use it. It comes in a green bottle, cheep and really works, takes about 5 minutes tho but itch goes away. But until you go buy it, put toothpaste on bite, my husband just did and he says its working somewhat. I used the campho and – NO MORE ITCH at all, YEA

Aluminium Sulfate – as the main ingredient in ‘Stingose’ best I have found so far for Mosquitos!! Once dry it works almost instantly, however I did apply to an itchy bee sting the next day and did not work as fast or effectively, but for Mosquitos!! FANTASTIC!!!

After reading nearly half of the responses I decided to try the table salt idea. I poured about 2 tbsp of salt in a small dish and add just enough water to soak the salt. I applied it like a paste on my bites (about 50 on each foot and ankle). It stung a bit but if you can resist scratching in the first minute, it seems to work.

I was reading through the list and swore I would see saliva also. I dab a little spit on my mosquito bites and this always seems to work. It’s not instant but if you can refrain from scratching the bite for about a minute after applying, the itching goes away.

There’s been a few times for me that I’ve had a mosquito bite that’s itched so bad I’ve bit it (don’t ask why, haha) and in the process getting a bit of saliva on it, which seemed to help. But I think I’ll stick with Benadryl or something, ha.

There is some stuff called Smile’s PRID you can get at many drug stores that works great for mosquito and other insect bites. You just put some on an adhesive bandage and cover the bite with it. The itching will stop and the bite itself will go away pretty quickly.

If chemistry class serves me right amonia and bleach will create mustard gas. Please, DO NOT EVER MIX BLEACH WITH ANYTHING! I can not stress this enough. Even items such as vinegar can be dangerous with bleach. This mixture creates chlorine gas. Bleach is bad news: just don’t mix it!

I don’t think they mean MIX bleach with something and apply it. I think they listed it as just ONE solution for itching. I haven’t tried it for itch but, for other purposes, I have used bleach directly ON my skin and also in my bath water. Been doing it for about 10 years with NO problem. It’s not like I use it on a daily schedule but maybe once or twice a week.

I wouldn’t use bleach on my skin. Look how it destroys your tub. It takes the finish right off. For those people who are allergic to natural remedies that have sulfites in them I use benadryl or purell.

I agree with jean(MY name too)…common sense tells u not 2 use bleach and amonia TOGETHER but used individually they DO work. I put a little bleach n my bath water and i also have used it straight and i still have skin….hasn’t eaten me raw YET…

What the what? You put bleach in your bathwater!? Whoa… Just spilling a small amount of bleach on my skin causes a mild rash. The idea of sitting naked in a tub full of bleach water is a terrifying thought.

Actually the popular product AFTER BITE is nothing more than Ammonia and an oil mixture. That is why Ammonia and Bleach are on the list. I have used After Bite and it causes no adverse side affects when applied directly to skin, however this product doesn’t work that well (for me anyway). I find that it just makes it sting as opposed to itch for a second and then itches again….

Bleach is not “dichlorin”, it is sodium hypochlorite (NaCLO). Ammonia is not “trisulfer”, it is nitrogen compound (NH3).

While mixing household bleach and ammonia together will produce a toxic gas (chloramine NH2CL), it is not mustard gas (1,5-dichloro-3-thiapentane). Mustard gas is an extremely potent blister agent, causing large fluid filled blisters 12-24 hours after exposure. Mixing bleach and ammonia will not produce mustard gas, but it can be dangerous.

1. Chlorine is abbreviated as Cl, not CL. 2. House hold ammonia is ammonium hydroxide, it’s vapor pressure is substantially weak so it does emit NH3(g) vapors. 3. The production of chloramine isn’t always 100% guaranteed- the reaction leaves the system with amine and chloro radicals… based on its reaction conditions pends what your products will be.

You’re absolutely correct that the components do not synthesis mustard gas by any close means. -Just wanted to clarify some things.

Also, I personally use any topical anesthetics that use lidocaine or benzocaine. I’m sure individuals can find something of the sort in their medicine cabnits.

One thing one your list that I saw was the hot compress/shower tip. I’m going to say that this doesn’t work. When I get in the shower, I just itch more. Part of this is because the itchiness is caused by inflammation as a reaction to the bite. Heat causes more inflammation by dilating the blood vessels near the skin surface…and causing fluid accumulation. This is why you’d never put a hot pack on a freshly sprained ankle.

You may be allergic to the ice. A separate problem altogether. My daughter gets hives from the cold. She even struggles with itchy tounge when she eats a popsicle. May not be related to the insect bite at all.

I’m allergic to mosquito bites, so I get extensive swelling – with a bad bite I can get a swelling that’s three inches across. The skin becomes hot and tight and the itch is unbearable – but the more I scratch, the worse the swelling will be. These bites are not infected, just terribly swollen (I’ve had them so bad I’ve been sent to the A&E department by a friend who’s a nurse and was very concerned by the site of my swollen foot!)

I tried literally everything – oral antihistamines, topical creams, home remedies – I’ve walked around with bananaskins clingfilmed onto my feet, baking soda paste on my hands and various over the counter remedies on other parts of me, and they just do not work. The itch persists, I scratch (willpower only goes so far – and I have been known to scratch in my sleep) and the bite swells up.

Topical application of localised heat dissipates the histamine all at once and stops the itching. A whole hot shower is a bit excessive – try just tipping a clean flannel into water that’s as hot as you can stand it, and applying it as a compress to the bite site. Hold it against the bite – I try to do it for 10 seconds. It takes the itch out of the bites for anything up to eight hours. No itch, no scratching. No scratching, and while I still get an allergic reaction, the bumps are more like an inch of swelling, not huge lumps. They also heal far more quickly.

My personal combination now is an oral antihistamine (for good luck more than anything else), hot compresses followed by antiseptic cream, and then an oral anti-inflammatory to help bring the swelling down. It usually puts paid to my bites in two or three days, whereas before I could suffer for a week or ten days with a bad bite.

Oh – and of course never underestimate the efficacy of just not getting bitten, which is sometimes easier said than done!

Yea I think im allergic too. Not as bad as your bites but the hot shower made me itch like crazy and itch in my sleep too (not my fault) lol. I have them all the way up my back and all over my waist line and a few on my arms and legs. Theres 3 of them that are HUGE I used the baking soda paste and it gave me relief for about an hour and it was un bearable itching again… I just used a REALLY hot towel and rubbed it on my bites and then I put some deoterant on the bites it helped a little you might wanna try that. I cant take benedrill or anything like that because I get hives and I get super mean Im like allergic to it. But I would try the deoterant thing and then try to go to sleep right after it ^_^

My 7 yr old daughter is like this too. If she gets a bite on her ankle, in twelve hours you won’t be able to tell where her ankle used to be. We went camping this weekend. I used bug spray every day. Day two, I didn’t use it until late afternoon, nobody else was being bothered. She counted her bites tonight… 19! I have to find a better repellant and I am here trying to find a remedy for comfort and to reduce swelling. She also scratches in her sleep. I am worried about infection.

Hi Ahd Child, I had the same hesitations with ammonia and bleach. I discovered that the commercial products one buys contain ammonia: epinions: After Bite.

For bleach I found references such as eMedicine eMedicine and a book mention The Doctors Book of Home Remedies. These two examples have a bleach/water flush, not a dab of bleach but you can do some more research online with “bleach mosquito” or something like that.

How about taking cyanide? It works faster that slowly poisoning yourself with acetone (nail polish) or any of the other many harmful chemicals that are listed as ‘remedies’ on this page. Deodorant! WTF? Increase your chances of getting Parkinson’s disease just so that you don’t have to put up with itching for a little while. You guys should do some research before shooting your mouths off about coating yourself in dangerous chemicals. BTW, Tea Tree oil and Lavender oil are proven to cause breast growth in young children (boys too), so really, are the potential risks worth the short term benefits being sought here?

I am doing allergy shots and have had difficulty with itchy reactions. I found this site after being EXTREMELY itchy all night. I tried the deodorant remedy, and this is the only thing that relieved my itching enough to be able to sleep for a few hours. When the itching is bad enough that you fantasize about peeling the skin off your body, I think trying some remedies like the deodorant can’t be bad. I guess you’ve never had any reactions that have been that bad. Good for you, but for others, a little relief can go a long way for sanity. Thanks so much to tipnut for posting this. It helped me get through the day for sure!

All these remedies are to be done in moderation not numerous times a day, or for a long period of time. Before you go in with guns blazing do research, for the effects you are talking about people would have to do them everyday for more hours then are in a day, think of it especially the deodorant, people use that on a daily basis, yet the percentage of people who get parkinsons from it are few. Also Tea Tree oil & lavender can cause temporary breast enlargement in some boys, but it is very rare & does not happen in most cases, and in all cases as soon as a young boy stops using the tea tree oil & lavender, their breast return to normal & is no way a permenant condition. oh and again, the research was over the span of a year with daily use. Again, take your own advice & do some research before you go shooting your mouth out about the dangers of certain remedies.

Deodorant hasn’t been removed from the market due to causing Parkinsons Disease, that’s why most of us wear it and apply it daily (if not more). If your research shows otherwise, I suggest you inform the FDA because they haven’t found that evidence yet.

Lavender Oil is a common application for insect bites, however there are questions found on that page, not established, that repeated use (such as using shampoos and lotions with lavender oil) may cause boys to develop breasts. A single application for a mosquito bite is something different entirely.

I’ll make a note above regarding the essential oils. I’ll keep cynide off the list though ;).

Edit to Add: (these have already been addressed above, but here again so they’re all in one place)

No one is suggesting that anyone has to use any treatment they’re not comfortable with or question, but I hope by showing the above information it is easier to understand why they were included on this list.

Ive been up since the middle of the night—-itching….got the computer out and looked up bite relief………So far, I have rubbed soap on my legs (full of mosquitos), used Vodka (on the spots), tried crushing Alka Seltzer topical treatment, toothpaste and NOTHING has worked. Just took hot bath and itching remains crazy. Going insane. Continuing to try others. Will advise! ughhhh…

i have tried the toothpaste it helps a little bit then i tried the hot bath it helped for about an hour then itching remained then i tried ice and it feels so nice it stops the itching for such a lond time thank you for your advise

ok, well, is it ok if I do phsical remedues as well? Because I find that putting an x in your mosquito bite with your fingernails really helps. I learned that from a friend, and, initially, I thought it was a myth.

I am sitting here with tooth paste on a dozen bites!! Not getting the job done. I tried the scotch tape thing earlier this evening. Still itching!! :- ( I also tried the dry and also the wet soap theory, the after-bite bleach stuff, Cortizone cream, aloe vera gell, Benadryl anti itch spray, etc. . .

Surely wish I had some of that Metigator to try right now. But it takes a few days to arrive after you order it.

I am miserable. The only thing that seems to ease it for a while is taking two Benadryl (pink & white) capsules. But by the time the 3rd hour rolls around, it’s wearing off. Then itch like crazy and wait till the 4 hours have elapsed to take another dose.

If I had it to do over, I’d have stayed home from Monday evening’s cook-out/bon fire entertainment. For sure and for certain!!

I have the same issues my ankles look like balloons with all the red swollen bite marks. I usually wash my ankle with warm soapy water then but a blot of Benadryl cream and a band-aid when going to bed, Otherwise in my sleep I scratch with my toes to the other foot & wake up all scratched up. I have found this works best, sometimes I will even take a Benadryl tablet or two. When I wake in the morning the bite is usually very tiny & no itch/scratch issues. Of course with the cream & band-aids it looks like a war zone on my lower legs. But it seems to work the best.

I find the key is, whatever you’re doing to do, do it FAST–as soon as you get bit, while the wound is still open! I’m the kind who develops welts to the point where they can feel like they’re going to split the skin. The only thing that helps me is taking Benadryl pills and slapping on bandaids so I don’t scratch in my sleep.

I’ve tried the rubbing alcohol, After Bite, Avon spray, topical Benadryl, everything and they all help with the itchiness a little.

But the key thing to keep in mind is that this is an ALLERGIC response to the mosquito saliva, so only an antihistamine will really bring down the swelling and itching. Other people say they don’t get bit but they probably are–they just aren’t allergic so their skin doesn’t react. And again, take the Benadryl ASAP after getting bit. It really helps!

I’m not allergic, but I’ve tried several things too and none seem to work for more than 5 minutes. I tried that drawing and X with your finger thing…..it caused MORE itching!! SOOOO irritating. I have 8 bites. I guess compared to 20, I’m lucky!:) I’m going to try the toothpaste now. Oh, the things I’ve tried taht failed were… -Witch Hazel -Banana Peel -Drawing X With Finger (Didn’t get that anyway…)

I can not keep the dang things away from me, They LOVE my BLOOD I guess. I have tried a lot of different things the anit histimines (Or however you spell it) Seem to work the best for me, But I have to wait for them to take effect. So in the mean time clear nail polish works alright. I just have to sray myself head to toe everytime I walk outside even for a few minutes. I heard that eating bananas attracts them. But I do not know how true that is. Because I stopped eating bananas for a long time and I STILL get chewed all to heck. My mom always wipes rubbing alcohol all over her arms and legs and that works for me.. YEAH RIGHT! I WISH! I remember once I was out of clear nail polish and uped red. I looked like I had a bad case of the mumps But at least I was not as itchy!

I have a bad reaction to mosquito bites, I get the giant welts too. I once used a mint lotion after a hot shower, the shower didnt work but boy did that mint lotion sure work great. Ever since then if I get a bite I slather it with either mint lotion or dab a little mint oil and it works great!

I was doubtful about some of these remedies but I was absolutely miserable and scratching until the bites bled so I decided to chance it and try one or two. This morning I tried the baking soda/water paste.. It helped a little.. but the releif was short. Even with benedryl gel I wasn’t getting much releif for very long. As luck would have it I have an extra tube of deoderant and so I tried that .. Thank you Thank you Thank you.. It worked for me! and my feet smell pretty too..:).

About the hot shower… A relative told me that the heat drew histamines to the surface of the skin and reduced itching for several hours at a time. I googled for a while and did find some research articles that seem to support this. The trick is that the heat actually has to hurt a little. I have used this for chiggers on my ankles, but I can’t just take a hot shower because I can’t stand the water hot enough. I just use the sprayer and keep a stream of HOT water on for 2-3 minutes. It has to actually hurt a little, I think. Then it’s sort of instant, as soon as the heat is gone they don’t itch again for me for several hours.

We have the only 100% botanical disinfectant, Benefect. It’s EPA-hospital grade, but the FDA considers every ingredient food. We take Benefect to the beach for general cleaning purposes. We had heard it worked as an insect repellant, and it did seem to work for us. What we discovered was that it is amazing after the bite. On the first night, 15 nieces and nephews were playing together on the beach. They came running in with multiple mosquito bites. I sprayed it on them to keep the mosquitoes from biting any more. Within 10 minutes they were all saying they had no itch, pain, or sting. It worked completely on 35 of us from 2 to 82. One spray, or just a dab, and the pain and itch are gone in about 10 minutes. Check the blogs on the website. Absolutely freaky stuff. Benefect is so safe that if you get it in your eyes or ingest it, there is no effect. Check the Safety Sheet (MSDS)at the product info page.

I am seriously allergic to mosquito bites and get bitten even after spraying with repellant. Having spent a fortune on conventional itch removers I found a first nations website which recommends rubbing the inside of a banana skin onto bites – wow! within 10 seconds all signs of itching is gone. You need to rub fairly hard but it works so well. Good Luck

i have a daughter that doesn’t do well with any kinda bug bites the best thing that we have used on ther was the benadrel that is the best i would have to say that before she goes out side i give her that an then i have no problem because the bites dont get as big….so the other things might work or might not you could also get the tea tree oil…

so since you don’t mind pain i have a little crazy very weird thing that helps my bug bites… i get a lighter and flick the flame…then turn it upside down so that the flame heats up the metal part of the lighter for a few seconds and then put flame out and put the heated metal part of my lighter on my bug bite and it’ll sting just for a second or two but then if it was hot enough you won’t have to deal with the itching anymore. and no it doesn’t leave a scar. and yes..i know thats weird…

Just wanted to address Mr. John Lancia’s scathing comment on the merits of applying chemicals to ourselves “just so that you don’t have to put up with itching for a little while.” If it were only a little bit of itching for a little while, I would not give mosquito bites a second thought. They turn into huge welts and are sometimes incredibly painful. During the height of the season, I lose weeks of sleep, which is not healthy. My lymph nodes get swollen, which is quite painful, and a bit scary. I become unpleasant to be around, due to annoyance at constantly being itchy, pain in lymph nodes, and lack of sleep. I agree that slathering ourselves with chemicals may not be the best idea, but sometimes it is what maintains my sanity!

ITA with the comments by MARY…. I’m moderately to severely allergic to mosquito bites, with similar symptoms as MARY. (I also usually deveop bruises around the bite sites once the bites begin to “heal.” Any hints for that problem… anybody?) *** I try to use all sorts of repellants – to avoid them in the first place – but nothing seems to work…. they just seem to love my blood more. *** This past Saturday, i got over 12 bites on EACH of my ankles/lower legs. on the following day, my left foot/ankle became very swollen (due to several bites in the same area.) I wasn’t unable to wear my regular shoes and walking is painful due to the swelling. – I’m currently using ice packs and oral Benadryl. Sometimes that works… sometimes it doesn’t. I just found this site and am thankful for the additional tips. I”m considering trying some Cloraseptic, next.

I’ve found that a hot compress draws the saliva out of the body. Much like you would put a hot compress on a pimple or going into a sauna to draw out the impurities from your body. As a matter of fact I’ve gone into a sauna with mosquito bites and after I came out found immediate relief from a mosquito bite and at times the bites were gone.

I have been using raw garlic for the last 55 of my 60 years on mosquito, ant, scorpion and wasp bites. It works wonders. My 3 year old grand daughter knows to go outside with a clove of garlic. She knows what to do with it when she gets bitten and does it because of the relief that comes within seconds.

I know that the crushed plantain leaves work. We used to mash it up a little and then put it directly on the mosquito bite. It’r fast relief, and actually makes it much smaller! In a few cases when I found the mosquito bites early and didn’t scratch them at all, they actually made them disappear entirely!

I have become allergic to the buzzing evil ones over the last couple years and have tried all the over the counter stuff to little avail. The first thing I can verify here is that NOT ITCHING is far and away the most beneficial first line of defense regardless of what follows. I unkowingly got 3 bites on the hand yesterday, itched them a few times thinking it was something else (duh) and lost sleep last night due to them. After researching a bit more I had to try the hot water thing and it worked. The swelling has abated (the back of my hand was huge) and the itch has been totally gone for nearly 4 hours now. I used a wetted hand towel folded 4 times and warmed in the microwave. You unfold the towel as it cools unvieling a new, still warm side each time. I think the key is that it needs to be quite hot. Well, there’s my 2 cents and even John should be pleased with this one. All the best!

You would think that all of the remedies for mosquito bites that are manufactured for sale over the counter would work. Supposedly, these products are the result of extensive, expensive research conducted by large companies with the monitary and scientific resources to succeed in finding the magic formula. Wow, am I naive! Well, if any of you out there really does have the answer, don’t post it on this web site…just email it to me. I could use a million dollars!!!

I worked for 18 years, three months a year tilling gardens in the spring. I found that Skin-so-soft and ammonia to be the two best repellents, and ammonia to stop the itch if any do bite. For ticks; after I removed the tick Ichthammol Ointment 20% (Wal-mart)applied to a band-aid and placed over the wound, will drew the blood thinner out and stop the itch.

most of the stuff like afterbite and calamine lotion doesnt work, but when i get bitten i scratch really hard untill it bleeds, then put afterbite on it, it stings like hell but it works for a few seconds then i forget about it and it goes away for 10 hours or so, also when i scratch them and they bleed the dry out a bit, and then i usually take water and just try to soak it in and let it dry out. it might work, i havent tryed the other stuff ut im not sure bout that

A tip I learned a few years ago and have sworn by ever since: 1) Put a mug of water in the microwave for a minute. It should be very hot, maybe a little steaming, but not boiling. 2) Remove the mug. Stick a metal spoon in the water for about 10-15 seconds. The metal on the spoon end will get hot. 3) Take a deep breath, and place the hot end of the spoon onto the bite. It will sting like hell for about 5 seconds, but after that, no more itch forever. It’s a little masochistic, but it works. From what I understand, it just burns the saliva of the mosquito away. Poof! No more itch. Warning: if you do it too long, or too hot, you will burn yourself a little, and have a pink mark instead of a bite. I however, much prefer to not itch. Due to the sharp pain for a brief moment, I wouldn’t recommend this one for kids. But if you can stand it, you’ll never need another semi-quack remedy, or $8 anti-histamine. Good luck!

I had a horrible allergic reaction to mosquito bites on my feet. They turned into giant red welts. I tried benedyrl, cortisone cream, vinegar, and toothpaste. This was seriously my last attempt because I was contemplating going to the ER because the itching was so bad and I couldn’t sleep. I tried this, and miracle or miracles, it worked! It’s incredibly painful for about 5 seconds, but I cannot begin to describe the relief I got from this. Thank you for such an amazing remedy! You saved me!

Many years ago I got bittem in Belgium and my legs were covered in mozzy bites which have left me with scars and sometime water retention causes these to be most painful. These bites made my life misrable and I have had bites since but if I cover my legs and body in jungle fomula extra strength lotion I do not get any bites. I went to the doctors with my bites and he gave me some pads shiny on one side and white bandage type on the other. I applied insect cream then put the pad on shiny side up this draws the puss out the bite you can see it on the pad next day if you leave overnight. If you have aN understanding doctor they will give you Anti biotics.found a bath in really hot water with some vinegar did wonders until I applied my other remedies. THE IDEA IS TO RID YOURSELF OF THE POISON THESE HORRID THINGS INJECT.

I grew up in Africa and can attest to the effectiveness of a product manufactured by Rhone Poulenc pharmacuetical named Anthisan (Active ingredient Mepyramine Maleate). Provided you get to the bite quickly, this is 100% effective. This product is not available in the US but can be bought online from UK pharmacies. I am never without it and do not fear the mosquitos in the Georgia woods

Apply directly ASAP with a q-tip or cotton ball. I usually let it dry, then wash it off. I wouldn’t do this if you have scratched it and broken the skin first though, or on a child too young to understand not to taste it.

We’ve rid our area of mosquitoes but no-see-um are even worse!!!!! Do these remedies work for those miserable pests also? I’m starting with the deodorant cure. How about the machine with the mild electric current?

Me again. The deodorant cure has partially worked. It muted the itch enough that I am not scratching like a flea bitten dog. I don’t know if it would work at night when my itch response is the strongest. I’ll let you know.

I have 11plus mosquito bites on my legs. I was desperate and discovered this site. Thank you all for your suggestions. I started with the Vicks and hand sanitizer together and that provided relief for a moment. I then tried toothpaste and gel deodorant and that helped for a moment too and my legs smell great, I have now added a topical itch relief gel on top of all the others (I did nt wash off the other remedies) and now I have relief. Can’t tell you which one worked for sure but I am itch free for the moment.

I had forgotten about salt and water paste, salt draws out fluids. I was going insane and needed something really fast. Thanks for all of the suggestions! I was close to asking someone to hit me on the head and knock me out!!

I especially like aloe vera gel with lidocaine. The aloe cools and sooths and the lidocaine numbs the skin to stop itching. I usually take benadryl at night (sleepy, sleepy!) I also wear seamless (or inside-out), close-fitting, knit (stretchy) cotton clothing. The layer of cotton prevents irritation when the arm/leg/etc comes brushes against anything and doesn’t brush against the bites, as it generally stays put. I do the same for hives.

Wearing clothes inside out!?!?! GENIOUS! Although my massive mosquito welts are on my heals and ankles, I will keep this in mind for my future sanity if I ever suffer like this again. Perhaps I’ll through on some socks tonight.

Normally I am able to suffer it (the itch) out and ‘walk it off’ so to speak – the bite usually disappears within an hour or so. if it’s about the size of a dime, I put an ‘x’ in it with my fingernail, spit on it and sprinkle some salt on top (my papa’s remedy), although that usually spreads the mosquito bite first for a short time.

This time? Not so lucky!

Perhaps I developed a new allergy! Great!!!

Thanks for this fantastic blog! It’s already been added to my favorites, and I plan on using any and every remedy it takes until I can get on with my life.

You’ve definitely figured it out. There is no single cure all. You have to try all the suggestions until you find the one that works.

Growing up, spit (my own) and dry bar of soap (in those days it would have been Ivory) worked. As I’ve grown older and my skin has changed (along with the rest if me), I’ve had to try different things.

A few nights ago I was bitten. The itchiness spread from my ankles up to my knees, along with swelling and small hives.

Tonight, I tried the hot compress (damp washcloth heated in the microwave and kept in place for 60 seconds). Relief was instantaneous, but after a few minutes I felt it begin to return.

Next I tried the basil because I have it growing in my yard.

I took about 12-15 large leaves and crushed them with a mortar and pestle until the juices ran freely. I used the pulp like a sponge and painted both of my entire legs.

An hour has gone by and still no itching and the swelling has greatly diminished.

Bottom line: try each suggestion until you find the one that works for you. And don’t be surprised if sometime down the road you have to repeat the process and find a new remedy.

Apparently the mosquitoes are attracted in the first place by the smell of our feet so I find a peppermint or lavender foot rub liberally applied on feet and lower legs BEFORE going outside really does deters the little blanks! My doctor suggested taking Vitamin B tablets to change the smell of ones sweat but that didn’t work for me. Regards from England.

I am moderately allergic to those skeeter bites, but have good results by taking one B1 vitamin a day helps to deter those little pests. It does seems to keep them away, and the vitamin is probably good for you too!

I have found that if I cut a postage stamp size piece of a Salon Pas (pain relieving) patch and place it on the bite, the itch goes away in a few minutes and the bite is gone in a few hours. I don’t know why it works, but I think it is the anti-inflamatory action of the patch. I have heard good things about Vick Vaporub too, and they share (most) common ingredients.

My pharmacist recommended Campho-Phenique, which is a painreliever you rub on the bite. The first time I tried it immediately after I got the bite, the bite virtually disappeared. The second time I tried it an hour or two after I was bitten and it didn’t do much. Benadryl works temporarily too. For ant bites I usually rub in a water and baking powder paste – its a bit abrasive, but it usually takes care of the bite. These all work best if applied immediately.

The hot hot methods (like the spoon mentioned above) work for me – living in China, I pour always-available boiling water into a Nalgene bottle and hold the bottle against my mosquito bites until it feels prickly. I discovered this out of sheer desperation, but it’s working like a charm.

After Bite works really well for me (although I think it’s just overpriced ammonia in a little tube), but I never seem to have it on hand when I need it. I think I’ll try the soap method, and I’ll see if I can get my hands on some vitamin B pills. Thanks, all, for the tips!

I tried the deodorant treatment and it actually worked…for about 4 hours. And then the itching started again. I made the mistake of scratching the deodorant covered bug bite. The deodorant ended up under my fingernails and since it has a waterproof quality to it, it wouldn’t readily wash off my hands. It was a bit of a mess. I’m thinking of trying OraJel. Any thoughts?

Mosquitos always bite me and in the past the only thing which has helped in using anthisan after being bitten. However, in the Danish fens a chemist told me that if you take enough vitamin B to excrete a tiny amount through sweat they will not bite.Apparently they hate the smell of vitamin B on the skin. Amazingly it seems to work. I know some people are funny about taking more than the recopmmended amount of a vitamin but I’d rather do than than inhale DEET!

I have a teenager that has over 200 bites from last night. We tried the nail polish, um, no. the tea tree oil, no, toothpaste, no, cortisone cream, rectogel(with lidocane) and hydrocortizone cream, no, no and no. We are running out of ideas and she wont try the deodorent, any other suggestions? We also tried preparation H wipes, and it will cool her arms down, but she still itches bad, some are welts the size of a quarter and bigger, HELP!!!!!

Tell me about it! i went to a party and it was outside, and i have atleast 75 mosquito bites. it is very frustrating sometimes, but i found that the suggestion above about the hot water and the spoon worked pretty well; better than most i have tried. also, neutrogena has a face mask that i put all over then and that seemed to work well also.

Same thing happened to me 3 days ago Toni. It drives me mad when I scratch them…you know that feeling of wanting to cry and say ahhhh at the same time? The only thing that has helped had been NOT to scratch, smearing a Hydrocortisone product on it all (Lanacaine) and taking 2 benedrill tablets. Then, I pass out and NOTHING bothers me. I got bitten by either “no-see-ums” or chiggers on a porch over a canal., I first cleansed the area with Johnson and Johnson’s Anteseptic Wash (has lidocane in it) , then the cream, then pills 2x a day. If you find a better cure, please let me know.Good luck.

I’m not a doctor, but I think the science behind applying heat to zits or other infections is that the heat draws blood to the site to which the heat is applied. Your body does this to cool the site – cooler blood flows through the site and carries the heat away. This intended benefit is not the cooling effect but the additional white blood cells that are brought more quickly to the heated/infected area via the fresh/cooler blood flowing through it. The fact that heating applying heat to an area of your body draws blood to the site to cool it is also why you don’t apply heat to a sprained ankle, which can cause swelling as the additional blood leaks out of broken blood vessels associated with the sprain and stays there.

I’ve also heard that if you make an “X”-shaped cut over the bite and suck out the blood…oh, wait, that’s for snake bites. The cyanide suggestion, above, sounds like too permanent a cure for me. In that regard, I’ve found that a lot of the other “cures” just don’t work very well (if at all) or for very long. I’m curious about John’s Antihisan suggestion (above) since I live in the U.S. and have never heard of the product, and I like Joel’s idea about the vodka – two or three shots of ice-cold Stoly will make most people forget about itching…!

P.S. Regarding applying heat to a mosquito bite, I’m not sure how bring additional blood to the site would help, as white blood cells wouldn’t have any effect on the allregic reaction to the mosquito’s saliva. “Drawing impurities to the surface” sounds like some New Age hooey to me rather than hard science, but, hey, if it works, why not?

The heat actually works the same as itching does except more efficiently. The itching sensation is a mild pain reaction. By scratching we damage the nerves thus causing relief. Applying a very hot compress or lighter or heated spoon will also damage the same pain receptors but with out the dirty nails and blood. I works longer and less likely to cause infection.

Note: The heat needs to be hot enough to hurt, but not hot enough to actually burn yourself.

My mom would always use a lighter or match close enough to the skin to hurt but never touch the flame to the skin. I now do this and it gives instant and lasting/permanent relief.

P.P.S. (For Toni, above my original post) Apologies – my posts were not in response to your post, my comments were in response to other postings. My daughter is suffering with only about 20 bites right now, I feel badly for your daughter with so many more. My daughter and I just tried wiping vodka on her bites just now but that didn’t work, so I mixed some bakin soda in the vodka, and she said that seemed to help. I also gave her a benadryl. I told her that our next option is the deodorant, and she seemed okay with that. I’ll use Ban unscented liquid (which goes on clear) if the vodka and baking soda doesn’t work, and I’ll make a post if either of them work. If they don’t, I won’t. Best of luck to you, I hope your daughter feels better soon.

Mosquitos constantly attack me, even with repellents. I wore pants and long sleeves to a cabin at a lake this last weekend, (in 85 degree heat!!) but also wore sandals and that was my mistake. I have about 50 bites on each foot, including some very painful ones on my toes. I have found that making a paste of Bentonite clay works wonders. I mix equal parts bentonite powder and apple cider vinegar, and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Spread the paste on, and leave it for about a half hour or more, and rinse with warm water. Bentonite has toxin-absorbing properties and usually two applications drys up the bites enough that they do not bother you anymore- plus the lavender helps for immediate relief. Good luck.

for the girl with 200 bites…. i feel for ya, im sorry. me, i just have 26 on my feet, but i never used to get bitten til i got pregnant.

so ive been doing the rubbing alcohol and honestly, it doesnt work at all after a few days. reading some of these things, i think everything works well as soon as you get the bite… but then if it’s stagnant you’re just f***ed.

next, im going to burn the hell out of my skin. pain is soooooo much better than itch.

I know this might seem a little crazy, but people have been doing it in my family for generations and it has worked. Take a match or lighter and while they are lit put it near the bite, dont put the fire directly on the skin, but close enough so that you can feel the heat. Keep it there for a minute or two and it should stop itching. Supposedly the heat kills the posion or whatever it is that the mosquito puts into you when it bites so it can stop itching. Any other heat source should work, my mom was smoking a cig yesterday and i used that and it worked.

Dr Bronner’s Pepperment Oil Castile Soap. It is liquid, so either a wash and rinse, or having a full shower [and repeat for 7 days] works to keep itch in check. Sure makes it possible for me to sit at the keyboard. Nasty bubbling reaction to a few bites, into the crooks of my fingers, not one, but five bites in a narrow patch x3 [oh joy] Recent holiday in evilville Ohio has left its marks. But, not as bad as North Carolina coast and dripping blood from the suckers whilst running from the hot tub to the back door (15 ft-ish.) Dr Bronner’s products are usually sold in/on health store sites. Psst…The list of remedies on each bottle will amaze you and makes great potty time reading.

YES! Dr Bronner’s Pepperment Oil Castile Soap works wonders. I use this in a hot shower or on a hot towel as a cpmpress. Just use hot water and add a splash of the soap and apply to the bites. As I poseted before, rubbing mint lotion or mint oil directly on bites seems to help me as well.

Yah, what Maggi says. I was just recently visiting in Ohio too. And I have bites that are too many to count. My feet, ankles, and the back of my legs are the worst. Iv’e taken Benedryl, used the cream, hydrocortisone cream and nothing is working. Right now, I am wishing I had some bleach because I absolutely agree that the burn beats the itch any day. It seems as if once you are bit, then expect the itch. Not to still itch like a fresh bite days after. From now on, the family can come visit ME. It almost turns me against going back to Ohio, lol. I will keep on reading to see if i can see any other interesting but helpful remedies. THanks, just needed to vent. ARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I might be twisting the current discussion, but thought could be helpfult too. Is there any body lotion or something which we can apply so that the mosquitoes will never come to you. Something that is alergic to mosquitoes. I cannot sleep at my home due to mosquitoes. If I start using these then there will only be time for that. Gals help!!

Hot water, heat causes the cells of the body in that location to release all the histamine they have at the moment. It takes around four hours for them to produce more histamine. That’s why the pain, itching will increase for a moment or two then totally stop. If the pain, itching returns in four hours just apply hot water to the area for a couple moments again. I found that out when searching for relief from poison ivy, poison oak, etc.

Anyone find that blood type has anything to do with it? My A+ daughter and I (also, A+) really suffer through mosquito season, while my AB- son and B+ hubby rarely get bit. It is the exact opposite with fleas.

there may be something to that. I am A pos and I have over 50 bites on my legs right now. I am trying everything but at the moment myh legs are covered with aspirin paste and it has kept me from scratching…..also took a couple of aspirin figured I would work from outside in and inside out!

Maybe? I’m also A+ and seem to suffer more than those around me. I can get bit and within moments it swells. And my swelling is generally worse than many others I know. Thus I generally try to prevent it with Skin So Soft or OFF.

NO..blood type does not affect. Diabetes…does not affect either. Is an aroma from you that attracts mosquitos. Unfortunately, some of us get more attraction than others.

Other suggestion for those who need immediate relief but don’t have something close by: your own saliva. Was a remedy used in pioneer times and is effective. Do clean off later and apply an astringent type product. Benadryl spray works wonders for the associated itching and swelling; can be reapplied as needed. Good luck with the season!!

This has been one of the best reads ever. I am REALLY grateful. I am A positive blood group. I take Vitty B and garlic pills every day. I think it has probably helped a LITTLE as I don’t think I get bitten as much as I used to.

I had to laugh at the scratch and bleed and scab entries. Sometimes one does all the right things and then just succumbs to the demented bloodletting!

Placing an ice pack on the affected area for about 10 minutes then applying hydrocortisone right after helps subside the iching for a fairly long time. The key is to using a lot of cream, not rubbing it in, the bite has to be completely covered and the cream should not be wiped or rubbed off all day (tough to accomplish I know). I have well over 80 bites on my legs, ankles, ect. and this morning I applied the ice, then cream and here it is over 8 hours later – still have visable bites but no sign of iching. Best of luck to you all in your quest for misquito relief!!

Thanks for the great tips. I have done the Vit B thing in the past and it’s worked great. I think I’ll do it again. I just applied Vicks Vapo-rub and so far it’s working really well. Hopefully it’ll last through the night.

A message for Miriam that posted on 8/15: If you don’t want your “stupid baby”, can I have her? I’ve been trying to get pregnant for over 3 years and honestly…if you really think your baby is stupid, please let me take her off your hands!

Sept 6th Note: Audrey is referencing a previous comment that has since been moderated (by Tipnut).

The best remmedy for moscito bites is a capsule of vitamin E . prick the vitamin E capsule and squeeze the liquid from the vitamin unto the moscito bite. works every time. also works great for scratches and minor cut, and skin irrictations.

I tried the preparationH and it worked on my feet/legs but it made my arms sting….oh wait, nope it meade my feet/ legs sting too! maybe I came accross this website way too late and done scratched my skin off eh? sting!!ARGHHH!! ok im trying the deodorant or toothpaste now…thanks for all the great tips

I think I’ve probably been bit 8 times in the last 10 years but I have a 6 year old who gets welts the size of silver dollars from mosquito bites… the fingernail X has most of them gone or manageable by the next day.

Of course my grandma always said “put a potato on it” as a cure whether it was for a mosquito bite or a decapitation! (Your mileage may vary)

My son is also A+ and he looks like he has some sort of skin disorder because of all the bites (and scratching). I would be curious to know if there has been any kind of study done on this blood type thing.

I always used to use alcohol but it never helped. Theres this creme I got from the pharmacy and it got wasted, and I need your help to tell me what its called. It started with a C. It was gelly and clear. Ergh, it worked so quick.

I have found that a little dab of gasoline on a baby wipe does the trick. First pour on the gas, then grind the wipe on the bite. It sounds scary, but the relief is extraordinary.

Also, peanut butter and honey works, due to the anticeptic properties of the honey and something in the peanut butter, but I have found through experimenting that it works best if you crush up a pickle in it.

I am suffering with about 9 bites right now. I am at work and am using the scotch tape on the ones that I can easily get to. It is only kind of working. I cannot wait to get home and try some of the others. I am miserable with this! I am A- blood type by the way and have ALWAYS has the mosquitos drawn to me leaving HUGE welts that itch like CRAZY. My husband is O+ and doesn’t get tormented like I do. P.S. It is October in Maryland and they are still here! I am ready for the cold weather so I can have some relief for a few months!!!

I just woke up itching like crazy thinking it was some allergic reaction I was having. I turned on the lights and I had tons of mosquito bites everywhere! They are huge!

The worst ones are on my face! one huge one on my forehead and the other one right under my eye. I do not have a lot of the things that have been mentioned in this article however I did try the toothpaste.. it was the gel and it actually worked! although not on my face.. It burnt so very bad on my face… maybe because the skin is so much more sensitive there.

I also took a high dose of benedryl.

I can’t seem to get them to stop biting though and I can hear them lurking around! I can’t sleep.. every time I am close to falling asleep I can hear them buzzing near my ears and they bite again! I live in NYC and never usually have a problem but I did leave my window cracked last night.

any body that can help it would be appreciated! I know I have Vicks somewhere around here but can’t seem to find it.. I am about to use the heat on spoon thing!!! I think pain is better than this itch! But does anyone have a good home remedy for a repellent?

I don’t think blood type has anything to do with it. My mom and I are both A+, and she don’t get bit. I tell her the mosquito’s don’t like old meat,..usually followed with a response I can’t repreat. And eating garlic don’t help. I’m in San Antonio, where almost all the food sold has garlic and, or onions. I keep a can of OFF on my padio table.

Dip the corner of a cloth into boiling water and dab it on the bite, make it as hot as you can stand. It hurts a bit but will stop the itching completely. It works by drawing histamines out or something like that.

My friend is a lifeguard, w she told me about these tips. THEY REALLY WORK! 1. Go swimming. 2. Baking Soda & Water 3. Make and x with your fingernail over thebite site or around it. It actually stpus the itching. DO NOT do it if you have a scab there.

Well, this was great reading! I just moved from California to Florida to be closer to my sister and am being eaten alive by these darn things! I am also allergic so they get pretty bad. I itch until they bleed. I tried the Vitamin B and Garlic… didn’t work. I tried the Sea Breeze, only temporary relief. What does work after a bit occurs is the X with finger nails. It brings the “poison” to the surface of the bite and the itching is relieved. I have been using the Avon Skin So Soft after every shower and it seems to help. I still get some though! I am going to try the Vicks Vapor Rub, the Chlorseptic and the Body Works Peppermint foot mask. I will let you know how these work.

I have been going crazy with giant welts on my arms and leg. I tried everything the chemist had to offer with no relief. HOT WATER is GOLD! Only others who have experienced the torture of extreme bites could understand the desperation you feel. I think I must be allergic to these mozzies. For the record my blood is O- and I get about the same amount of bites as my family, but they don’t seem to react as severly. My sympathies to all who suffer with them.

I JUST came home from Jekyll Island(off the coast of Georgia) THERE WERE SO MANY MOSQUITOS!!!!! i 4got to put bugspray on 2 go 2 sleep(who would remember!!!!????) and i got 68 just on my legs…(yea i counted) the hot spoon thing works temperarly and the X fingernail thing does 2… but i wake up cryin’ cuz they hurt soooo bad!!!!

The no see ums are the worst. Got over 50 bites and thought I’d go crazy. After trying over the counter stuff, I decided to make my own. Mix 2 parts ammonia to one part rubbing alcohol. Use a cotton ball to apply. Worked for me.

Great Blog… I went fishing over the weekend and came back with a sprained foot (oowww) and in excess of 400 mozzie bites on my body. The reality, you could cut off both of my feet and I would not notice as I am itching like mad and this is day 3. I have around 50 bites on each foot and the rest of the bites are on my back and the back of my arms. I am in Australia and these mozzies bite you through your clothes. I have tried ‘Stop Itch’ nothing. However a hot shower as wierd as it sounds provided a little relief (10 mins)I am itchy and bruised and am hoping for a sure fire fix, hope u can help. Bourbon helps also when ingested in large quatities, lol :o)

i’ve got hugely swolen mosquiro bites, owie! pharmacist gave me hydrocortisone, but that sucked! it seems that half of the things in here are placebos however (both acids and bases recomended, both cold and hot recomended, etc. etc.) i reckon going legit will be just as good, perhaps using antiseptic to prevent any infection potential. p.s if someone with 40 bites could use them all, and say what is beat, that will be GODLY. cheers

I’ve woken up with 20 massive bites. I think I might be allergic. Theyre itching like crazy. I went to the chemist and got a product called stingose that i used to use when I was young and it seems to work on most of my bites. There is still a few giving me trouble that I tried the spoon and x on but the relief was very temporary.

Last night, I was at a concert and was wearing shorts. I now have mosquito bites all over my legs, ankles, and on my bum cheeks. What I did first thing this morning was put Triple Antobiotic Cream with Itch Relief to all of my bites, and it has really helped! Later today, I will most deff try the hot spoon thing, and I pray that it works!!

i have so many bites on my legs and ive tried nearly everything its driving me insane. there so big and ugly and tomorrow night im going out and wearing a dress that will be revealing my legs. what can i do to make them go away FAST !?

Hi Guys I have read all your comments wow some great read there! If you have exprienced Aussie mozzies then you know what itch is! Please no disrespect to any other victims off these blood thirsty little suckers. We have and I’m not sure if other countries have is but we have an all natural hypo-allergenic stick deodorant which is natural minerals, works so far . I reackon give them all a go what have you got to lose except …. your itch. Have a sensational day to you all!

I am allergic to those nasty things too and have really sensitive skin so a lot of the remedies are worse than the symptoms for me.

I did find out years ago that wet chewing tobacco does wonders. Put a small amount of chewing tobacco into a bowl or cup and add a small amount of water. Smush it around with your fingers or a spoon until you start seeing the tobacco juice. Apply a small amount of the tobacco to each bite.

Wayne is TOTALLY right!! The hot water treatment is amazing. I usually get 8 to 10 bites on my feet…..once a year or so if I was careless. I run the hottest water I can stand on the bites…..on and of for a total of a minute. The itch seems worse for a few seconds….then it disapears. It lasts for four hours. Then I repeat. I also use benedryl (oral) and ibuprofen. I carry benedryl spray if I will not be near my tub for a while….

Why me? Six of us sat out the other night for a few hours. Two of us got eaten alive by “no-see-ums” and the other four were not bothered. Unfortunately, with no-see-ums you get to find out that you’ve been bitten the next day when they really start itching. The other person who got bit was using “skin-so-soft” by Avon…to no avail. I have approximately 60 bite welts all over my legs, arms and neck. Have tried Benadryl liquid, calamine lotion, Aloe Vera, and now the Ban Roll-on. Actually the Ban seems to alleviate the itch that was driving me crazy some….some relief is not all bad. I would really like to know what it is that mosquitos, gnats, no-see-ums like about me….and why they don’t bother other people in my group at all….I think that’s the key. I don’t think it’s blood type either. I appreciate all the suggestions out there. Thanks.

I too am very allergic to mosquito bites as well as DEET. My bites will swell as large as the palm of my hand and turn a purple bruise color.

What has worked very successfully for me is the Benadryl Dye-Free Allergy Relief, Liqui-gels.

I will open the gel capsule and apply it directly to the bite. Since it is more concentrated than the spray or gel it works better. It knocks the itch out after a few minutes and I reapply every time the itch starts back up. If I have a lot of bites then I will also ingest a dose of benadryl.

I have found that this prevents my bites from swelling up like they did before as well as shortens the healing time of the bite down to about 3 days. (It use to take more than a week for bites to heal, probably because I kept scratching them.)

I now ALWAYS carry some of the gel caps with me and use them for all types of insect bites. It works for fire ants, chiggers, no seeums, etc.

Fascinating reading! I’m in England and struggle with Harvest Mite each summer.Misery!In USA you call them chiggers? But a consumer test report for mosquito bites said that ‘Avon Skin-So-Soft Dry Oil Body Spray’ surprisingly worked better than all the mosquito repellants like Jungle Formula etc, even tho it wasn’t designed as one. Worth a try as a repellant? It has worked for many. WD40 supposed to be good for bites too. The manufacters claim there is nothing in WD40 that can harm you. Good luck everyone! xxx

Admin Edit: Linda I removed your email address from the URL field so it wouldn’t be public

Yep, that just means that you’re even more allergic to those mosquito bites. I’m hugely allergic to them but with mosquitos in America, I just get a big, swollen, red welt. With Asian mosquitos, my bites actually blister (the bubble you’re talking about) right at the bite. Whatever you do, don’t pop them or it’ll scar. Just continue with whatever treatment you choose (I stick with heat treatment) and let it drain on its own.

After 4 days with a couple hundred mosquito bites, I found your great blog. I had on hand a baking soda based deodorant. It is working for me. I live in South Florida, and you can imagine the mosquitoes we have down here… The itching was driving me wild until I put the deodorant on the bites. THANK YOU so much for that tip !! If they start to itch again, I will apply some more. I plan to buy extra tomorrow.

Garlic tablets… My auntie has always had a large number of cats and dogs, and to prevent them from getting fleas and ticks, she feeds them garlic tablets with their food. Garlic has well known health benefits to the bloods, and so I guess this is how it works on blood-sucking creatures…her dogs have never had fleas or ticks (nor do they smell of garlic!). Before I wen on a recent trip to Malaysia, she suggested to start taking the supplement a month or so before travelling, to get int into the system, and I have to say I very rarely got bitten, even in infested areas. Even if it doesn’t work for everyone, the garlic’s good for you anyway! (and p.s. you can use the odourless type, so you don’t have garlic breath, though it might be handy for vampires?)

Garlic is actually toxic to cats, as are many things that are “Good for us”.

I take garlic myself and my grandfather always gave it to his dogs but when I got my cats I read up on it and they can’t have garlic, and many other things you wouldn’t think would hurt them. Their system is just very different from ours, and even from dogs.

My count of bites is about 30 now, 20 on legs the rest over arms and back.

I’m young but I’ve finally managed to overcome the need to scratch (it’s only the British blighter’s that got me). Basically because its hot and we’ve been wearing skirts everyday, so I thought if I don’t touch them they’ll go away… I’ve put every spray and cream on them I can find, the teaspoon in hot water took away the itch but seemed to keep them at the same size and redness when its appearance that matters most atm. Some are slowly shrinking on their own but some are just staying huge with what I assume is icky stuff inside which make them feel solid to touch and bright red to look at. I’ve been bitten all my life as my parents never did any preventive things to start with but I think that would help any one.

The bicarbonate soda/water paste helps the itching moderately but looks terrible – not something you can take with you. All day in a park I’ve been using a cooling spray which didn’t really do anything… Are there any tips that speed up the break down of the bite so it heels quicker or is it a time thing? Is it better to keep skin moist or dry? so many conflicting tips like hot//cold…

I’m definitely trying everything, I have so many I can try lots separately but the ones that have gone the most are the ones, uncovered by clothes (like on my hand and arm) and left alone, sometimes with a cooling spray – but this seems to depend on bites. Is it possible to have different reactions to bites from separate mosquitoes because I have some that are raised solid lumps and some that cover a wider area and seem deeper under the skin and not improving over any time.

The creams tried have been hydro cortisone and anti histamine. now I’m trying the oil from vitamin E capsules. Fingers crossed.

Mosquito Magnet, should be my name! The worst part is I live in Louisiana now! This place is mosquito country! After reading the tips and trying a few, I thought about another option and tried it myself. Although, it’s temporary relief, it does seem to work for a few hours. I worked out in my yard and was attacked because I thought, maybe, just maybe, the darn pests wouldn’t be attracted to me that day. Don’t ask me what I was on to think that…Anyway, after being mutilated by them and receiving about twelve bites, and one ant bite I became desperate to stop the itch. So I surfed the web and found this site, tried a few remedies and came up with my own. I decided since my husband sometimes uses Head-and-Shoulders to stop the itch from his scalp, I would try it on my insect bites. To my surprise it actually works. It only works for a few hours, but any relief is better than none. I got the idea from reading another post about the soap and water. Head-and-Shoulders shampoo has ingredients that stop itch in the scalp, so I thought why not. First I cleaned the areas with rubbing alcohol and then applied the shampoo to a cotton ball, then applied that to my bites. The shampoo also gives a cooling feeling as well. That was a nice added touch. I don’t know if it’s all in my mind because of my desperation for relief, but if it is, it’s working so far. I hope this tip helps someone else.

I don’t think I’ve had a Mozzie bite for a couple of decades. One of the benefits of living in a cooler climate, I suppose (I live in London, England). However, my luck ran out the another night when I dozed off in front of the TV and woke a few hours later with a vaguely familiar itching sensation around my exposed calves and feet…

Aaargh!!!!!!!! I feel like I’ve been losing my mind these past few days and probably would have but for the one thing to bring me some sweet relief: Cold water.

When the itching really starts to kick in, I simply sit on the edge of the bath with my feet and lower legs submerged. I find that bathing the affected parts for 15-20 minutes stops the infernal itching for a good 3-4 hours which, at this point, is worth any number of prize winning lottery tickets!

Of course, if you’re bitten all over this isn’t a practical solution and, in fact, I do have a couple of bites on my neck. But for some reason they are nothing like as bothersome as those lower down. Anyhoo, some relief is better than no relief and I would recommend giving it a go. It’s working for me and may do so for you.

i went to starbucks with friends the other night and stayed at the outside tables, i went home with my legs full f really ugly red itchy bites. the next night i cant sleep bec of itching so i googled bite remedies. i wanted to try vinegar and baking soda but we ran out of baking soda.

i only have powdered deodorant and a foot cooling spray with HAZEL WITCH, i read that somewhere of my googlng, it also has tea tree oil and menthol.

i sprayed both legs with the foot spray but rubbed only one leg with the deodorant. relief was instant on both legs and i slept all night. now when i wake up, i feel the itch again but the leg with deodorant doesnt itch as much..

ive also realized that ivory soap works! because i used it before on my bath and remembered saying “my mosquito bites are gone, i wonder why…” now i know.. and now i will switch back to ivory

I think mosquitoes are attracted to heat. I always have cool skin and my husband and son have hot skin. If I’m outside with one of them I never get bit and they are constantly getting bit. If I’m outside alone they eventually find me and settle for me. I can’t stand the itching and usually scratch the bites right off. And I do get scars. As long as I’m outside with other people the mosquitoes don’t seem to know I’m there. As I’m sitting here reading about bites a misquito flew past my computer screem and then it bit me. I am thankful for all the suggestions and will try them. I knew that heat works for wasp stings but I never thought of trying it for mosquito bites. Thanks for the help.

I have always been a hot item for mosquitoes. Spending summers at the lake I was constantly searching for strategies of alleviation and prevention. I too suffer the reaction of a giant raised welt when bit by mosquitoes… Prevention – One summer I picked up some sunscreen with bug repellent, I think it was Copertone, and it worked wonders. I got it use in the afternoons and I was so impressed by the protection I received, I reapplied it for the night (and the rest of the summer). It seriously worked. Alleviation…oh the pain…file those nails down nice and smooth to avoid infection and scarring. Bites are so distracting, painful, and annoying – hope this helps!

I just wanted to say that I had a Birthday party and we had a bonfire with fireworks and all my girlfriends got eaten up!!!!!! I put bug spray all over my legs and I have so many terrible mosquito bites, but I forgot to put some on my face and I don’t have one single bite on my face! Maybe bug spray is worse than no bug spray.

Often eating garlic will help keep th mosquito’s (and possibly everyone else) away. Something about the smell… Also many stores now have the wrist bands that are supposed to keep mosquito’s away. I wore one a few summer ago when I was working at a tourist attraction by a lake and waterfall, I rarely got bit. You have some great tips up, I’d just prefer to try and prevent the problem before it starts. Have a great summer everyone!

ive treid some of the stuff posted in here. if used wrong its painful. to relive the itching i usaly put neosporn and band aids on them if i have a few. and those wrist bands do keep most of the skeets away for the most part.

Ahhhhh I was going crazy! The toothpaste didnt work, neither did the Bananna, rubbing alcohol, baking soda paste, bleach, mouthwash, tums, lemons, or vicks. The the nail polish worked for just a few but……… the doedorant is a SLEEP SAVER! Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Creams, solutions, soaps, alcohol, pastes, etc, etc never worked for me. It seemed like cool water should work over hot, as the itch feels “warm”, but that never worked for me either. My mom always did the “X” trick growing up to mixed reviews…I think the pain of the X temporarily makes you forget about the itch, and it returns shortly after.

But the Spoon trick feels like it treats the whole area, and it goes from an uncomfortable hot skin feel, shortly to a cool, calming non-itchy feeling for hours! WOW!

I dont get alot of mosquito bite but when I do I get huge whelps and a bad case of the itchies. The one thing that really seems to work for me is some stuff for poison ivy called ivy dry. Use it with caution because it will stain your clothes or bedding if it gets on them while it is still wet but once dry everything is ok. It works for the mosquito bites just like it does for ivy. if you can keep the air from getting to the bite it doesnt itch. It seems like the post about the super glue stuff would do the same thing. anyway Ithat is what i use if I have any left over from the occasional case of poison ivy. I need to go get some tonight. the other thins I have tried that seem to work is the bar soap. If you use the bottom part of the bar that has been sitting in water and gotten that slimy feel to it, that part works the best. Again the soap stuff keeps the air from getting to the bite. But I just tried the hot spoon and it seems to have worked. Thank everyone for all the sugestions. I hope mine helps someone.

Never hurts to know or try a new method I just thought I’d share this since we have a mosquito problem here…And Listerine has no DEET in >it, which is nicer for spraying on your children! The best way of getting rid of mosquitoes is Listerine, the original medicinal type. The Dollar Store-type works, too. I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children’s swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don’t leave home without it…..Pass it on.—————— FRIEND’S COMMENTS: I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works – in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn’t take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn’t last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don’t spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house if you have one.

I have over 20 bits on both of my legs-tried some of the remedies on here, most were a bust. Deoderant worked the first application but after that, no relief. Hot compress did not work. X on the bite did not work. Benadryl cream is a joke. None of the pastes seemed to work either. I found 2 Benadryl caplets, a hot shower, and then an application of a clay face mask worked wonders! Just let the mask dry on the bite and it will relieve the itch for HOURS! Reapply when the itch comes back! Going to start loading up on garlic and get one of the wrist bands to prevent the little buggers from getting me but the mask works great as post-bite relief.

basil leaves actually give off this scent that insects do not care for. So instead of the toxin DEET, use basil leaves for bug protection. Just rub the leaves on the exposed areas and not have to worry about “anti-itch remedies”.

Thanks for all of the tips, the hot spooon trick worked for fast relief and also reduced the whelps quickly.

Another one that works but only if you get to the bite at the first sign of itching is to apply hard pressure with your fingertips and release. Keep doing this and you break down the histamines that are causing the itching.

I am A+ Blood group and very fair skinned. Whilst working in the yard 4 days ago (without Deet on as I had run out and was too lazy to go and buy some more) I received over 100 bites on my legs and I am very allergic. The swelling around my ankles is so bad I can not stand and put weight on my left leg. My Left thigh has swollen so badly that is almost a third bigger than it usually is and I am running a very high temperature.

No over the counter products work on me, but I was told a few “Native American tricks” by a colleague. Apparantly mosquitos detect you from the carbon monoxide levels that you breath out from approx 50 feet away but it is only when they get very close to you that they hone in on you. Apparantly the colours that you wear when out in the open can help to disguise you with green being the bigggest disguise, followed by brown or white. Red and blues are big no nos as they are like a red rag to a bull.

A mosquito can only fly at around 8 miles per hour, so if you are out in the open and are near an electric point keep a fan running as the fan makes it impossible for a mosquito to land on you to feed as the fan blows them away (although you may still get the odd one or two bites).

They also detest anything oily getting on their wings so keeping your skin well oiled deters them from feeding on you. Not only does it act as a barrier on your skin making it harder for them to land but the oil coats their wings and they are unable to fly again, so they will avoid you like the plague. Cedar oil is one of the best oils to use and works as a huge deterrant if you have it on your skin as they detest cedar (note do NOT apply to face). If you have no cedar oil a tanning oil will work also but is more expensive and needs reapplying more frequently.

Bounce Tumble Dry sheets rubbed on your skin, used in every wash and carried in your pockets also acts as a deterrant for them although I am not sure why.

Thanks again for the hot spoon tip though, this was a new one and much appreciated!

Try First-On Hydrocortisone stick. I got mine at CVS last year and it takes a couple minutes after application to begin working, but you will feel a cooling sensation in your skin, I believe there is some sort of menthol in it. That and the 1% Hydrocortisone combination really helps. It’s small enough to carry in a purse, and it doesn’t smell strong at all.

I tried the hot method on one of the worst bites on my leg. I was lazy to find something like a spoon to dab on it, and I just poured a cup of hot water on the wound. I was almost screaming the first time. IT STINGS.

- Hot spoon works for me for a short period of time. – After bite and other such remedies cool the skin temporarily, but are ineffective over a long period of time. – Watch when you eat sugar, since the mosquitos seem to like the sweetness – If you use garlic and vinegar in your cooking, the scents will deter the mosquitoes. – Try growing a basil plant outside your door, or on the patio. It is rumored to deter mosquitoes, as is. Then you can use the leaves on the bites, and in your cooking.

Don’t scratch; it will warm up the area and prolong the itching.

Blood type appears irrelevant. Watch your diet, and see if that changes the number of bites you get.

This is the first year that I have been really bitten in my life. Of course, I’ve gotten a mosquito bite, but I have at least 20 or so and that just hasn’t happened. I’m going crazy because what works for me is rubbing alcohol and I’m out!

Anyway, my oldest son is highly allergic to mosquitos’ and gnats’ saliva. He swells so terribly he looks and feels awful. The first thing we do is give him a benadryl; however, to stop his itch and the swelling, we use rubbing alcohol immediately and then use crushed aspirin that is slightly damped. Children’s Hospital gave us that remedy. By the time you’ve gotten a bite, you’ve more likely than not already scratched it at least once brining most of the ugliness to the skin’s surface. The crushed aspirin in your skin will directly affect the infection swimming underneath. It does not always work on the allergens, but it works a great many times.

My husband is a mosquito magnet. He is also in the military and they have a trick similar to the hot spoon. Take a lit cigarette and hold it VERY NEAR(NOT ON) the bite. He swears by it and says it never failed him in ‘the back 40′. Please use caution as not to burn yourself!

The reason a Lit Cigarette works is not because of the Tobacco. Heat stops the histimine in the bite from spreading – ergo: no itch. You can use almost Any heat source – even hot water. Take the heat as hot as you can stand it – and Whalla!! Histimine – That’s the Cause of the Itch. There is a product called “Click-Away” sold in the UK that uses a piezoelectric principle of heating (no batteries) and works great. HEAT stops the Itching Histimine.

The one that seems to be the most effective for *most* people, is an old lifeguard trick normally used to treat jellyfish sting. Wet the area with white vinegar, and rub in a small amount of seasoning salt. Lifeguards all up and down the beach in Waikiki have it in the lifeguard station(s). It certainly works on *my* mosquito bites.

A little short term solution is to press your fingernail into the skin very near the bite until you feel a bit of pain. There’s only one nerve in the area and it can’t handle two sensations at once, so it’ll forget the itch and transmit the teensy pain sensation to your brain.

Heat stops the Histimine. For VERY serious cases use an Anti-Histimine product like Benzedrine. For quick relief – use heat like from a lit cigarette, hot water, some heat source that is safe and can easily be regulated as not to burn or damage further.

Hi, i just want to say thank you so much for this list. I have been eaten alive these past few days. I have spent all day today with a towl and rubbing alcohol on it as well as just about every cream you could name. Nothing worked. I eventually decided to give in and try one of these “Wacky” ideas and would you believe the nail polish acctually worked!!! Wow i am finally going to get some sleep tonight. THANK YOU!!!!!

After reading the previous posts, I tried a combo of things: putting hydrocortisone cream on the bites, letting it dry a little then covering it with a piece of scotch tape. Then I poured some boiling water into a mug, dipped a metal spoon in the water and then touched the spoon to the taped up bites. The next day I just repeated the hydrocortisone and tape method. It’s now day three, and it seems to have worked. I can’t tell though if I could have omitted the hot spoon part.

I just want to say that after trying several over the counter creams and pills, which yielded little to no result, I decided to try the HOT SPOON TIP and it worked instantly. I haven’t slept for the past two nights because of the constant itching from bites I got at the lake (I’m guessing it was “swimmer’s itch” caused by a parasite that lives in the water.)

I’m glad I found this website because now I’ll be able to sleep tonight.

The only other remedy that worked for me was the ice pack. But it only stops the itching for a little while. The hot spoon technique seems to be much more permanent, and stops the itching instantly.

you forgot benadryl spray! it is fast relief but u have to keep applying it… also hydrocortzone creme… and slice a apple and rub it on the itch then put a dab of neosporin and/or alcohol on it and put a piece of tape over it then get a hot washcloth and put it over it with a cup surrounding it and it will feel great! i have 5 in a row right now on my leg and this works so well for me!

I got bit 7 times on one hand and elevating my hand worked to get rid of the itching instantly and now i am trying toothpaste and it seems to work and keep the itching at bay but we will see how long that lasts

It’s apparent different things work for different people. I really appreciate all the great ideas posted here. On July 4th I got 21 leg bites and 2 arm bites. I’m a male in my mid-thirties, and here’s what worked and what didn’t:

Benedryl itch stick works temporarily, but After Bite and BiteMD sticks don’t seem to. Caladryl didn’t work either. The hot water / spoon thing works great (I have low pain tolerance, so I dabbed the spoon on the bite for a few seconds, then pushed it on until the spoon cooled). Crushing a Tums in water and putting the paste on the bite worked well. Sitting on the edge of the tub letting cold water run over my legs gave temporary relief. None of the other gels or creams did much (Oragel, Vicks, etc.). The banana peel did absolutely nothing.

Seconded, Julia! It doesn’t necessarily last for long, but making an ‘x’ with your fingernail on the bites can certainly help for a while. My dad taught it to me; he was a forest ranger for years (and constantly itching, to hear him tell it :P).

wow…thats a big list but i have to say that i would have never thought of putting toothpaste on mosquito bites but it works! the minty kind works best. cuz i had gone over to a friends house and we were outside for grillin some burgers and goofin around, stuff like that but i had gotten attacked my mosquitoes. i put crest minty fresh toothpaste on all 17 of my mosquito bites and they stopped iching as soon as i put it on. i was amazed. thanks for the tip.

I was bitten at least 7 times last night – I tried toothpaste (Crest – paste) first and that seemed to help, but it’s messy. After a while I washed it off then tried some Listerine. Today I hardly see any bumps. So I’m not sure which helped more but I’d try both again.

Thanks for all of this. I thought I was the only real mossie magnet in the world till now. We just got back to cold Britain from the hot Mediterranean and all the bites that we thought had died down started up again as soon as we came out at the airport. This makes me think that the only cure is going to be one of those hot baths that makes you look like a boiled lobster. Just a word of warning about Avon So Soft: it makes my eyelids itch very badly. I spent a month thinking it was a kind of hay fever and I looked like a ghoul with the itching and swelling, and finally I worked out it was the Avon So Soft. But it doesn’t do it to my four grown up kids and is probably a lot safer than Deet.

Thanks so much! I found the chloraseptic really helped! Much better then the Itch-X my mom bought me. Tho idk why, the deoderant made it kinda burn so I immeddiatly cleaned it off. Has anybody else had that problem?

The tops (front and back) of my legs are absolutely covered in chigger bites. Horrible! The Gold Bond medicated powder gives me the best relief so far. But I’m going to try the hot water and Benedryl capsules. Thanks for all the hints!

I dont think I saw Neosporin mentioned. Last year my bites got very infected cause of all the scratching,bleeding and scabbing , on no. Of course I didnt do this but i will from now on , and that is to spray with OFF, in the first place. I just didnt know they were out so much this year. Back to the soap, water and nail polish for me. Lots of neosporin. Have a great summer, y’all :))

I recently was at an outdoor concert and I got bit by something. It was RIGHT near the ankle and it started to itch like crazy. So, I tried the hot water method and it was burning for like 5 seconds and the itch is gone for right now *phew* XD

Has anyone tried Burt’s Bees Res Q? It has Vitamin E, comfrey, lavender and wheat germ oils, and smells really nice. I just got some today and am trying it – I hadn’t found this site yet. Bites on the feet and ankles, and the hands and fingers are the absolute worst!

I use Skin So Soft by Avon right after I shower and I rarely get mosquito bites, but my children and grandchildren get bites all the time and they scratch them til they are huge and/or bleeding. I am grateful for all the tips here and hopefully they will have relief finally without having to wait til we have money to buy something for relief.

My Son put “Skin So Soft” on his cat and the cat passed away! A First Aide Kit in a jar, all Natural is Oregon Creme11, with “no” side effects. It will take the red and swollen infection away over night or in a very few hours. Needs to be rubbed in on all 4 sides of the bite and a very small amount goes a long ways. You might need to do it more than once if you tend to scratch it first. The Essential Oils and Plants are great for the patio, too. Many Scientific Studys have proven that “Rubbing Alcohol” causes “Cancer Cells”, what the American Medical Association calls Cancer, which is a weakness in the body.

I know 1 thing u all probably dont know thats really weird. I would’ve never belived this until it actually worked all the time. Ok, you need 2 small things. A piece of tape and a penny. If you put the penny on your skin then tape it on for about 20 min you won’t have and itch any more. If you leave it on for too long though your skin will be slightly green on the area the penny was. {Couple hours like if you sleeo with it on MIGHT be too long} Try it i never thought it would work until i did it and they’re common items.

+Tea Bath works for hands or feet Lipton tea bag or plain teabag works well too bowl of cold water dishtowel clean take the teabag make a hole in it and then dump it in the bowl then let the hand or feet soak for about seven minutes then dry off with a few herbs still on foot it is a fast relief and works well

I was just outside with my kids for fifteen minutes. I got eight mosquito bites that turned into extremely itchy welts immediately. I tried the dry bar of soap, and it didn’t work at all. My next choice was tea tree oil. It worked instantly, and I have had over an hour of blessed relief from the itching. I’m going to try tea tree oil or eucalyptus essential oil mixed with water for prevention next time I go out with the kids. Thanks tons for this wonderful list! I’m so glad it came up in my Google search.

I just woke up with bites all over my legs and arms. I rubbed Listerine (the regular one) all over my and after a few seconds the itching stopped and so far I haven’t gotten any more bites. Hopefully it is keeping the little devils away.

I have been trying to tough-out these ankle bites for a week, but they won’t go away. In desperation I have turned to the internet, only to be told my bites are “stagnant” and too old to treat. I’ll try these remedies next time.

I’m curious though, has anyone tried vinegar? (Mild acid) Urine? (Eeewwww, but hey, it works for jelly fish stings!) …and one I can’t wait to try; Tabasco? (Capstasin [sp?] the main ingredient in pepper spray has many medicinal uses.) Inquiring minds want to know!

Okay. So I got bitten really bad on my left arm. I have atleast 10 or 12 mosquito bites. I tried the toothpaste which worked for only a few minutes before the itching returned. I also tried the deodorant and that didn’t work for me. Then I saw putting rubbing alcohol on would maybe help. So I dug up my nail polish remover and I have to say WOW. The bites did sting at first when putting it on but the itching is gone. I can’t even feel them anymore. Also, if you blow where you apply the nail polish remover the sting goes away faster. So I would suggest applying nail polish remover, it worked great for me.

A variation on the hot water/hot spoon that a friend suggested and which worked for me is to use a hair drier – idea is to have it slightly hotter than you can stand for as long as you can stand it (in my case that seems to be 10-15 seconds). Wait a few minutes, and it the bite is still itching, do it again. It took 2 or 3 applications before the bites stopped itching. That was last night, and while they’re still visible, they aren’t welts and even the ones where my sleeves are rubbing aren’t itching.

Just went for a walk around the lake this afternoon, got about 20 bites, but they don’t seem to bother me at all !? Just tiny red dots on the skin, no itching (so far… 3 hours later) Good luck to you all, I feel for you sufferers.

I have 5 bites on 1 arm, they swell up HUGE when I get several in close proximity (palm of hand size, plus achy pain w/red swelling and hot to the touch). Ran hot water on them for a couple of minutes each and it was the only thing that worked. What relief! Thanx!!!

I am one of those people who swell up very badly, (like silver dollars!) very quickly and the bites stay for a week to ten days, itching all the time, even if I don’t scratch them raw into bleeding sores.

The heat solution works for me (I nuke a wet washcloth) but takes about 5-7 minutes of repeating it (and it has to be almost hot enough to burn your skin, painful to feel for long.)I would rather have pain than this itch!

If you have a dozen bites keeping you awake, this can take an hour to treat them all. And it’s only temporary, for a few hours or the night. I really need something else to work on bites that are still itching three days and even ten days later.

Also, the fingernail X works for a few seconds, but increases the likliehood that you will scratch off the skin and develop a sore. So I had to stop doing that. My legs are so badly scarred from childhood mosquito bites that got out of control that I almost never show them.

I have to put bandaids on them just so it will remind me not to scratch them, because I have woken up bloody from scratching them in my sleep.

Sure-Fire Cure, kids: you need the following: One BIC lighter and one stainless steel butter knife. Heat the tip of the knife for perhaps five-six seconds; it might turn black..no worries. Now, grit teeth and dab heated tip directly to welt. You will feel a pain shock; dab and dab until heat dissipates. Repeat again. I guantee you will not itch again. You shouldn’t even see a mark. Dabbing is the key; feel the pain and remove, feel the pain and remove. The high heat immediately neutralizes the enzymes in the bite, hence the immediate relief. Do your own bites, only. Never fails and no expensive CVS crap to buy.

I have a 2 year old daughter and her legs are turning into mosquito bite palace. She scrathes until she breaks the skin or starts to bleed. Ive tried anit-itch cream, and benedryl. Ive even resorted to covering her legs with band-aids just so she can’t get to them to scratch. She wakes up in the middle of the night telling me her legs hurt. I can’t tell what burns her so I dont want to try to apply any heat. And honestly, Im scared to apply any chemicals to her 2-year old skin. Her legs are starting to be covered with scabs. Can someone please help me relieve my baby?

Mosquito’s drive me mad. Just as you are about to fall asleep you hear that dreaded buzzing.

I swell really bad with the bites. I have tried everything but one night, (whilst half asleep) I pick up SUDOCREM instead of my bite cream and the itching stopped and the swelling was not so dramatic. You do need to keep applying the cream when you feel it starting to itch again. But This works for me.

Drink 8 to 16 ounces of concentrated ORANGE JUICE 30 minutes before going outside and bada bing NO BITES TO WORRY ABOUT..Guys the best cure is prevention..This works great and its alot better then spraying all those nasty propellents on yourself

Windex does work – it has alcohol and ammonia in it. After Bite’s anti itch ingredient is ammonia. It is more concentrated in windex, so where After Bite didn’t work for me, windex did. Just don’t spray it on an open sore or it’ll sting. (although the sting might get your mind off the itching)

I find most, if not all, products on the market only supply relief for a short period of time. Once solution I´ve found, albeit a hardcore one, is to apply extreme heat to the bite. I found this out when I was suffering intense itching and in the despair of the moment decided to burn it. In quick and short bursts, I applied the flame of a lighter to the tip of the bite. If you can handle the momentary pain of the burn, it takes care of the itching immediately and in most cases stops it in its tracks. It´s not a question of burning your skin, but applying that amount of heat for some reason works. Expect a few singed hairs though!

I’ve heard (but never tried) that activated charcoal applied directly to almost any insect bite (including ants bees and wasps) immediatly after it happens, can significantly reduce any pain, itching, swelling, etc.

Just don’t be stupid and try to use regular, store-bought charcoal meant for your grill. Activated charcoal can be found at a lot of local places and is meant for different uses. For example, I’ve substuted Nexium/Prilosec with activated charcoal mixed into a cup of water/ a day. Much cheaper. Actually, like 500% cheaper.

My two year old has about 20 mosquito bites on his feet and legs. He was in complete agony. Unfortunately, because he was screaming, I could not drive all the way to Wal-mart to get anything. I read the list and didn’t feel comfortable putting bleach or other chemicals on his skin, so I tried baby orajel, and it worked! It has been over an hour and he is still good!!

I don’t think the suggestion to scratch them so much they scab is a good one since it can lead to impetigo. Insect bites is a major way kids develop impetigo due to scratching mosquito bites. I think Sarna anti itch helped for a while for me.

Believe it or not, Chap Stick. The key is that you cannot scratch the bite. Rub chap stick on the bite as quickly after receiving it as possible without scratching it. It not only will stop the itch, but the bite will virtually disappear shortly afterwards. Works for me and mine anyway.

To The Mosquito hating mother: I too have a 2 year old boy and he has scratched some of his bites until it has broke the skin. after reading all the different remedies and after all the crying he was doing because it hurt so bad i tried the toothpaste and it worked like a charm. he instantly stopped crying and started running around again.

I never used to get bitten…literally…at camp when I was 11, I was the ONLY one in the cabin that didn’t get bit

Boy things change. Now I’m highly allergic…prolly because I never used to get bit, never built up antibodies to the saliva…they itch for days.

2 months ago I got 2, yes only 2 bites on my foot and it swelled up so bad I was on crutches because not only did it itch, my muscles ached from the bites.

Currently I have 4 bites on my right foot and I’ve been suffering for 2 days. I just tried the hot towel trick -microwaved that baby for a minute, flipped it over and microwaved it again for about 30 seconds, popped it in a plastic bag, and put it on there. Sure it hurt at first…and I did take it off here and there when it hurt too bad…BUT IT WORKED! Thank you!

I don’t know if anyone else has posted this but Avon’s “Skin so Soft” works like a dream. My father was in the US Marines and he said that the comanding officer told thema bout it. He swaers by it! And so do I. I am always getting attacked but as soon as I put it on within a matter of minutes the mosquitos are gone.

I have terrible Mosquito bites at least over 60. I’m not severly allergic but enough to annoy. Unfortunatly I scratch them in my sleep until they bleed and scab so I have to be careful what I put on them, but here are somethings that work for me. Tea Tree Oil; applied with a Q-tip to unbroken skin is good but it can sting and make a red mark if you have sensitive skin. Lucas Paw Paw Ointment; applied directly on the bite, it works temporarily but is greasy and can be a bit yucky on the skin. X with fingernail; also temporary and usually due to feeling the pain rather than itch. Calomine Lotion; good but usually because it cools the area and that’s usually why mine itch due to getting warm and irritated. Hot water; usually when I have a shower it stops them from itching but can sting the bites and isn’t as effective or long lasting (in my case). Rapid Relief (itch relief cream); this I know you can get in Australia, it came in my first aid kit from St Johns Ambulance! IT IS THE BEST….. it gives instant and long lasting relief from itching and if kept in the fridge is also very soothing. Aeroguard; although this is supposed to prevent bites it also helps relieve them for a reasonable period of time. Cold pack; this can be good as mosquitos bite in summer, and that is usually why mine itch after I have been bitten due to getting hot. It also numbs the area which stops it from being as noticable.

* I recently went to the chemist rather than the doctors and the pharmacist advised me to get a cream….. it is a antiseptic, anti inflammatory and anesthetic…. so as well as helping keep the bite clean it soothes and numbs the area it works well and I strongly advise it as its good for anything not just bites, its a generic brand in Australia so you can just ask for something similar providing the chemist have it.

I hope this has helped I’m going to try more things now I have found this website and I will do a review of all the things that work.

I was stung by a wasp and had the worst iteching and swelling! The itch was so bad that i was waking up scratching. Many over thr counter treatments relieved the initial pain of the sting, but did not helo with lng term intense itching. A friend’s grandmother recommended mixing some plain uncooked oatmeal with milk and applyit it as a paste. IMMEDIATE relief! I walked around the house for a while, just mumbling I cant believe it worked, I cant believe it worked! lol

Another grandmother sugggested soaking some bread in milk and applying it to the itching area for similar results.

If it worked on my wasp sting, I”ll bet it would work very well on a mosquito bite, too.

Mosquito bites last 2 weeks on me and my 9 yr old daughter – The only thing that works for me IMMEDIATELY:

I just took a regular aspirin (have crushed them also and scrubbed with the jagged grains) (or baby aspirin when I can find it) and SCRAPED my bites on my big toe and finger until I didn’t itch anymore – to the point of bleeding – but they don’t itch anymore

I did this a few weeks ago after suffering for YEARS of using PRESCRIPTION steroid cream, 20% Benzocaine (Spray and Lanacaine EXTRA STRENGTH cream Painkillers), IVORY soap on them, acetone (not nail polish remover which is diluted), alcohol immediately after the bite does not work, meat tenderizer doesn’t work

Hey. I;ve currently got my foot in a bucket with cold water and vinegar, It seems to be working so far, stings a little but It doesnt itch……how It will go once my foot is out of the bucket who knows, will keep y’all posted!!!!!

For me, mosquito bites are toxic. If I do nothing, the bites swell up and after a couple of days, the area around each bite begins to ooze. If I try to OTC medications and/or folk remedies, the bites still swell up and ooze anyway. So I do the one thing I’ve always been told not to do… SCRATCH!

Of course, I only scratch the bite(s) after I have taken a few precautions. First, I scrub my hands well with soap and warm water. I use a nailbrush to clean out any dirt/germs I might have under my fingernails. Then I wash the bite(s) with soap and warm water.

After I scratch myself silly to relieve the itch, I wipe the bite(s) with an alcohol swab (the kind the nurse uses to clean your skin just before she or he gives you an injection).

Then I rub some Neosporin into each bite and cover them with a self-adhesive bandage. I leave each “sore” alone for two days and when I peel off the bandage, the bite is gone and skin is nearly finished healing.

I too was feasted upon by no-see-ums on Jeykll Island (60 or so bites). Them blankers are fierce. As another commenter posted: the power of distraction is amazing. I agree somewhat, but now I’m sitting here covered with Old Spice High Endurance deodorant, and am finally releived. For now… Thanks for the tips!

I live in Phoenix AZ but I get mosquito bites approx 8 months in the year. I am allergic/ sensitive to so many products, health problems, and get infected easily. Until a few years ago I had a fast fix for the bites– scratched them open and applied vinegar with a cotton ball, itch gone immediately. Usually took one application but sometimes 2. Two years ago I got ? spider or mosquito bites around my ankles and did the scratch and vinegar routine. Three times in 8 months I did that but had to be admitted to the hospital each time as it turned into cellulitis. Not sure if it was the vinegar (I know I am now sensitive to vinegar due to another incident entirely) or infection caused by bacteria under my fingernails. Baking soda and water has a caustic effect on the skin. I have tried a lot of the things mentioned and got infected, it did not work, or it set off my tachycardia. What I have been doing, and it relieves the itch for at least a few hours is to apply cornstarch. I use a little take out salsa-type plastic container and put in cornstarch and a little water and stir. I apply it to the bites with either my fingertip or Q-tex tip. Keep in refrigerator so it does not get moldy. Cornstarch will settle, just stir with finger. If it gets on clothes it will not stain– just save your clothes until you wash them as you usually do and the cornstarch washes right out. I also use cornstarch dry on salad oil, etc., stains on my clothes– rub it in, leave it set until wash day. Sometimes I have to do that as often as 4 times but it does take the stains out– been doing that for at least 40 years.

I just got back from Puerto Rico. It rained our last day there and several of us were bitten by Misquitos. I’ve tried the following methods. I’m on the third day of Misquito Bite Treatment. The “Itching” wakes me at night, but the best solution I’ve found is… Solarcaine Aloe Vera Spray. I had some of the Aloe Spray for Sunburn. Since I heard Aloe was good to stop Misquito Bite Itching, I tried it and it gave the best relief. These other methods also worked, but the Solarcaine Aloe Vera Spray relieved the “Itching” the longest. Most of the bites appear to be clearing up now. 1) Solarcaine Aloe Vera Spray – for Sunburn Relief coupled with Neosporin applied to each bite, 2) Benadryl Tablets every 4 hours, 3) 100% Aloe Vera.

I’ve also used Neosporin continually on the bites because it is an Antiobiotic Ointment. The combination of the Aloe Vera Spray to relieve itching and the Neosporin to clear the bites seems to be working effectively (for me).

I find that the best way to relieve mosquito bites is very hot water. I turn the sink on as hot as it will go. Angle the bite so that only the mosquito bite touches the hot water. I hold it there for as long as I can. The skin will get a little red but the itch will be gone. I’m not sure if the hot water just kills the nerve endings or denatures some of the inflammatory proteins but usually the swelling from the bite will go down and the itch is relieved in a few minutes.

Caution: Don’t scald yourself. Don’t try this on children. They have to be able to know when they’re skin is uncomfortable hot.

thanks so much for all of these tips! i dont have any bites but my friends and i have to do a project in health for yellow fever and i wouldnt have found any of these ideas on google:) so thanks again so much! for all the people’s help! i appreciate it soo much!! <3 i love you guys!

After reading the list of recomendations the heat application with the spoon dipped in hot water seemed to make a lot of sense to me and others were having success. What also caught my attention was holding the blade of a stainless steel knife to a cigerette lighter and then applying the hot blade to place that was itching. I decided on this route because the cortizone cream bought at the local pharmecuetical outlet was prooving to be a waste of money.

So I began to apply the hot blade of the knife to those areas which were itching. Trust me, it takes some mental discipline to do this because what I was doing was burning the welt and turning it into a heat blister which could be popped thus realeasing the liquid causing the irritation. For some this may be extreme, but if you are the rambo, survivalist type and don’t mind the burning sensation, the end result is you won’t spend a sleepless night scratching all those parts of your body that have been eaten alive by some insects getting ready to lay thier eggs.

For the summer prevention of those pest(mosquitos) our family has used a spray bottle half n half water and avons original skin so soft just spray it on after you shower it repels and leaves your skin soft.

I was hanging out in the fields near my house with my girlfriend for several hours and I ended up with over 200 mosquito bites and I can’t get them to stop itching. They’re on my arms and legs, but mostly on my thighs and upper arms. What should I do?

If your in the woods and dont have any of these things, go to a stream, pond, etc. look for a leaf that shines when it is under water. It is called jewel weed and the liquid in it stops the itch for almost anything.

I recently purchased a bug bite pen (After Bite-The Itch Eraser). It is a great idea and convenient to keep in my purse. After my husband used it he told me he thought it smelled framilar. HE said “all this is is spirit of ammonia”. My point being, if you cant find this pen you should be able to find Spirits of Ammonia at any drug store, pharmacy etc. I have not priced it yet, however for the volume you get in the bottle vs the pen, I would imagine there would be a significant savings buying the bottle of Spirits of Ammonia. Give it a try, my kids and husband can vouch for its effectiveness. I will follow up with an accurate price match.

I sat here and read every response on this blog. This is the best! I’ve gotten quite a chuckle from some of them – we all have folk remedies handed down – the potato one was especially funny. I got some nasty bites on my feet – so bad I couldn’t sleep last night. (I tried aloe jel with menthol or whatever they add to it to deaden the pain, I tried solarcaine and hydrocorosone cream – nothing – still itchy. I got up this morning and googled “mosquito bites” – and viola – this site came up. I read through all of these looking for what I thought would be the best cure – I chose the hot towel in the microwave. Thought I’d start there and then go to other if necessary. It worked well – so far it’s been an hour and no itching. It’s cheap and non-invasive – no chemicals, etc. (I’m not opposed to better living through chemestry – I’m just cheap!) Usually the old cures are the best anyway. Thanks so much for the suggestions.

I tried the “spit mixed with salt” trick and it worked for me! Instant relief from itching and it seems to be shrinking the bite as well! I used real sea salt, I dont know if the type of salt made a difference.

I have 61 bug bites up and down both of my legs that have caused my legs to become swollen. I found no relief from any product until I took an oatmeal bath. Aveeno’s Oatmeal bath packets provide instant relief. Soak for about an hour.

apparently there is a national epidemic going around of bugbites as the way in for bacterial infections — i know; i got one probably hiding on a yoga class floor. Clean, scrape clean and keep clean and covered is key.

it takes 48 hours for the area to begin inflating or swelling so keep a close watch. the ER is the next step for anti-biotic treatment.

as far as the itching: baking soda & water paste; hydrogen peroxide/water solution are effective and safe.

I was outside for 1 hour moving boxes around because im moving. i was bitten in the kneck twice , the foot three, leg once, and arm twice. I took a few ice cubes and put them on a wash cloth and then tied the wash cloth i put it on my mosquito bites until wit was numb ( do not keep it on you bite to long. you dont want a frost bite) then i took alcohol pads and rubbed softly on the bites. its amazing how great its working you should try it!

I have never heard of using deodorant until reading your post. I literally got about 80 mosquito bites the other day and just tried deodorant on some of them and it worked right away! I guess I’d recommend Old Spice (red container with the blue stick) since that’s what I used. Thanks for the cheap and very practical advice!

A long time ago I heard you could slap a bite really hard. This will will both your hand and the bite area, but it will take the sting out. I have two on my ankle right now and ended up using a hard marketing flyer to hit both of them. They itch is now gone.

Anything that will stop the air from getting to the posion will stop the itch. The reason for the itch is air getting to the posion and the reaction is it itches. So there you go. I use clear nail polish and it works every time.

After reading a ton of these comments I’ve noticed that while not everything works for everyone, I will say that applying packaging tape (which is just a stronger version of scotch tape? haha) really works wonders for my mosquito bites (I also put hydrocortisone on prior the packaging tape). Currently my entire right and left leg are SWOLLEN with mosquito bites (you can see maybe about an inch of un-bitten skin and the rest are bites) but the packaging tape is really preventing me from itching.

I’m going to be seeking professional medical help (we’ll see how beneficial it is though, ha, they’ll probably just tell me to take benadryl) and will repost if they have any good solutions, but for now I am going to try the Vitamin B-1 and maybe even the odorless garlic pills — my coworker told me of a supposed great preventative medication and I will post it as soon as I ask her what it is.

It’s good to know that I’m not the only one to suffer from this awful affliction! Only those of us who get these bad reactions really know how bad the pain and suffering really is! Ah! (My mosquito bites turn into huge red welts and sometimes even bruise up! And the sad part, it’s only the mosquitoes from where I currently live — mosquitoes in other areas never seem to affect me as much!)

I have three kids, four if you count my husband, and we are now living in Oklahoma…the mesquito are so big!! I am just waiting for them to take the next step and start up and mugging prople! seriously its bad…and my two year old is eaten up…I had to rush to walmart to get her benadeyl after calling the doctors..she was bleeding from her wounds, and I had used all the calamine and goldbond itch cream..my mom says to put listerine in the bath water, and my friend says to put BLEACH in the bath water LOL bleach! in my babies bath water.. what gets me is that I don’t get bit like everyone else, I can be standing next to my husband and kids, and they are swatting themselves all over, but so far, ive been bit twice, and they both hurt, in fact I scratched so bad that I scratched my skin off my toe, and I have a huge scab, the whole while I was scratching I couldn’t feel that I was hurting myself…so if you can feel that you are hurting yourself, how is any topical cream, or spray going to help? if the saliva disables that..then theres not too much you can do… this site should be watched though, because there are people out there without any commonsense that are desperate to try anything…so y’all need to be careful what you say! think of dim bulbs out there!

I just wanted to report that the Ivory soap remedy worked wonders for me. I got bitten yesterday right in the joint of my middle finger, which caused my whole finger to swell up to twice its normal size. I am moderately allergic to mosquito bites anyway which I’m sure is what made this bite so bad. Today it was even more swollen than yesterday despite repeated applications of very hot water and ice. In desperation I Googled mosquito bite remedies and found this site and the Ivory soap idea. I slightly moistened the bar and liberally coated my finger in the soap. Within 15 minutes the pain and itching subsided and within 45 minutes (and a second application) the swelling had gone down to the point where I could bend my finger (it wouldn’t bend at all before). THANK YOU SO MUCH. I am practically crying in relief. I’ve been a loyal Ivory soap user all of my 36 years but never knew I could use it on mosquito bites! It really works!! The finger is not totally back to normal but it’s WORLDS better. I can’t believe it.

ICY HOT. It stinks and the first 5-10 minutes your skin will feel very hot but then the area where you applied the ICY HOT will become cold and the itch will disappear..TOTALLY. Everybodys’ skin reacts different to different products but this has always worked for any itch that I have had.

I got a lot of mosquito bites 3 days ago. Today, I used the hot spoon on them, and the itch has been gone for about 3 hours now. It also may be my imagination, but the bites look much less noticeable – definitely smaller. I also took 2 ibuprofen, so that may have had something to do with the swelling going down.

I recently got bitten by mosquitoes ( don’t know where they came from and was only outside for a short time) – one arm has 25-30 swelling bites on it and the other about 7 and one leg has about 3. So it’s not terrible, but the intense, severe itching they cause can drive anyone crazy. I found this website ( GREAT website!) and tried the following remedies: hot water – made it itch worse, cold water and ice – only helps while it’s on, Vicks vapo rub, toothpaste – didn’t do a thing, calamine lotion – helps for about a half hour, alcohol and scotch tape – helps for about an hour if you can stand the scotch tape, and then i tried CLEAR NAIL POLISH. – Voila! I am so grateful. Just swab tbe whole bite area, including the surrounding red area, with nail polish and let dry. Ignore the temporary stinging; that will go away. Then take 2 Benadryl and some Tylenol if you’re trying to sleep. Put a light cloth over the area and use an ice pack over that for further relief. The itching will stop soon and will not itch for SEVERAL HOURS. You will need nail polish remover to take it off or it will start flaking after 8-12 hours. Anyway, by then, you’ll need a repolish. Good luck!! And have a great summer!

I am allergic to Mosquito Bites and ind they swell considerably. I want a good fast acting anti-itch solution that I can soak in as I tend to get bitten all over. I will definately try the 2 cups of vinegar in hot bath water to see if that helps. any other tips and tricks would really help. Thanks!

I live in the south where the mosquitos are enormous in the summertime. I’ve found that a small spay bottle filled with original (brown) Listerine mouth wash, sprayed onto exposed skin before going outside works wonders. It contains no chemicals that can harm skin, and certainly isn’t going to hurt a child if it gets into their mouth. Use a cotton ball to apply on face. Be sure to let it dry before going outside. You’ll probably want to re-spray after a couple hours.

Vinegar works wonders!!! I pour about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into water or juice and drink it like a shot (it tastes nasty) but the vinegar exits slowly through out the day via your skin pores and when you sweat. I’ve used this for several years now and I’ve had minimal mosquito bites.

The ice pack work GREAT! My ice pack was freezing cold, so it worked quicker! After my lazy mom wakes up I’m gonna take a nice, warm, bath upstairs. Thanks! P.S. Use a SUPER COLD (or at least as cold as you can take) ice pack! Keep one handy and put to the itching area. Got two like me? Then take a spoon and put in a mug with warm water and put the spoon to the itching area! Bye!

Tom’s All-Natural Baking Soda/ Peppermint toothpaste!! I was bitten last night by some NASTY mosquitos, and even as they were biting me, welts had already started rising on my skin. Usually I can’t tell I was bitten until the next day when itching started, but these I felt immediately (much to the dismay of the little bloodsuckers). I tried the icepack, and it helped a little. Unfortunately, it did nothing to slow down the swelling on my skin (big red blotchy areas with a small rising welt in the middle). I saw this post, and thought I would try toothpaste. Voila!! After a few minutes the itching stopped completely. The paste dried on my skin, and I left it there overnight. By morning, the swelling was gone. Thanks for the suggestion! If you are having a *mild* allergice reaction like apparently I was, I recommend giving baking soda toothpaste a try. (Obviously if your reaction is worse, you may need to see a doctor quickly). Best of luck!

Add another vote for extreme heat. The spoon out of near-boiling water is a good way to apply it. Make sure most of the water is off it, though. It has to be so hot that you would normally instantly jerk away from it, and it has to be applied for at least 3-5 seconds. Do your best to hit only the mosquito bite. The bite itself should feel even hotter than any skin around it you accidentally touch, and will burn pretty bad for the 3-5 seconds you apply the heat. I like to apply for 5 seconds, pull the heat away and reapply 3 times. Afterwards, the bite doesn’t just feel better, it does not itch *at all*.

The science behind it for skeptics.

1.) You get immediate relief, because your nerves pull back from the surface to avoid the heat. The itch is concentrated on the surface of your skin, and your nerves withdraw away from that itch, to seek refuge from the heat.

2.) You get longterm relief because at a certain temperature, the chemical compounds that cause the allergic reaction lose integrity in extreme heat. You’re actually neutralizing the toxins, and if done right it should never itch nearly as bad as it did before you applied this technique (about 12 hours later you may feel some mild itching again)

This hurts, but it’s the only 100% immediate relief I’ve found, it can turn mosquito irritation off like flicking a light switch and sometimes that’s worth a little pain.

Years ago my Naturopath told me to use a blow dryer. Using hot air blow till it starts to hurt. It pulls the water/stuff that causes the itch to the surface & dries it. Usually once in the morning and again in the evening before bed, but can do it more. Also, works on Poisen Oak, extremelly well. Dries it up in just a few days, if you happened to get into a patch by mistake. Fast, Easy & no messy dabbing. I really like some of the others, too.

YES!! the blowdryer! i discovered heat for itchies many years ago soon after a wasp bit me on me. without meaning to, i squated down in front of a space heater so that the heat was directed onto my bite. i noticed it starting to itch more and then it quit. after that i started using the blow dryer. first i used it on a very bad case of poison sumac and got great relief. every 12 hours and no more itching!! YAY!! i get devoured every summer by mosquitos and chiggers and everything else out there, but i get GREAT relief through my blow dryer!! my husband thinks i’m crazy, but we all know better!!

I have found that if you put hydrogen peroxide on a mosquito bite as soon as possible, the bite will be gone by the next day with only a small mark. This has worked 100% of the timefor me IF you put it on within an hour or so. I don’t know that it does anything for the immediate itch, but then, I never see my kids scratching either.

Instead of Deoderant use Roll On Antiperspirant within 20 min of the bite. It not only takes the itch away but reduces the redness and swelling. When bitten my daughter tends to swell up and get red at the site instantly. This is the first thing we have found that works fast and effectively on her. She carries a travel size bottle with her to camp and I keep one in my purse at all times.

I have found the best solution for me is to squeeze the mosquito bite fromm the bottom up. it forces out a clear fluid. I ususally do this untill all the clear fluid is out and sometimes squeeze out some blood. This usually causes the itching to subside immidiately. The squeezing is sometimes a bit painful but that bothers me less than the itching.

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions given here. I’m going to try them on my kids. My daughter especially is a magnet for the skeeters. Short of putting her in a bubble when she plays outside, I don’t have many options left. thankfully she hasn’t had many get infected, but I always worry about it b/c she scratches the bites until they bleed. My daughter is only 6, but she has had this problem ever since she could walk. So thanks for advice, I can’t wait to see if something actually works for her besides my “don’t scratch” advice. Kind of hard for a 6 yr old to understand that. My 3 yr old son is starting to get the same way, he cries when he gets a few bites and it breaks my heart.

I’ve become mildly allergic to the bites. When I get a mosquito bite it will swell to the size of a walnut and get red and hot. Last year I learned about the tape remedy. If I put a piece of tape on the bite as soon as I notice it, I don’t have ANY reaction. The tape doesn’t seem to help as much if I wait and put it on after the reaction starts. So I keep a roll with me in my purse and car. The better quality tape will stay on longer. It usually takes a couple of days before I can do without the tape. Hope this helps someone else out there. Everyone I’ve told about this has said that it works for them as well.

I got bit the other night on the neck and face ,,,they swelled,,,within an hour of getting the bites I applied alot of “Hydrogen Peroxide” to a towel and just wiped it all over the bites,,,it was very cool when applying and the next morning they were all gone ,,,no itching that night either ! First time I tried this,,,the brown bottle had been left out of the medicine cabnet,for a minor scrape the day before, Good Luck ! (I don’t think the stuff is too toxic either)

what i have found to work is …take a lit cigarette and about a 1/4″ above bite, sting, hold tell starts to hurt and redue a couple times, the heat burns up the poisen injected in you….i believe have fun fishin an hunting or just playing….paul

I have used the roll-on antiperspirant and the crystal antiperspirant trick. The bit stops itching immediately and the welt goes down and disappears within 20 mins. The reason is the Alum in the deoderant which is why the roll-on or “wet” type works better and faster than the stick.

So i tried after bite i tried marking them with an ex with my finger nail nothing, works seriously its crazy i was ready to just give up and i read the spoon thing to i got up and heated water and burned myself so many times but it worked everywhere other than my hands… haha i am covered i look like i have chicken pox or something

I’ve been plagued by hobo spider bites for the last week. They may not have the same effect on others but on me they itch like crazy. The hot water/hot spoon trick is the only one that works. It’s not always handy but it does give several hours of relief. The spoon trick, Benadryl and ibuprofen before bedtime lets me sleep longer.

I go white water rafting/camping every year and in the beginning I used to get bombarded with mosquito bites. Mosquitoes love me. I would get attacked so bad during camping trips that I would even have welts all over my face from bites and scratching. So I did a lot of research to PREVENT mosquito bites. I learned that mosquitoes are attracted to sweet smells. So if your pores are giving out a sweet smell, guaranteed you’re attracting the mosquitoes. I was instructed to stay away from sweet stuff during my camping trip. Which includes, no soda..no juices..no fruits…no candy. I know it sucks. But I was willing to give up these sweets just for the 3 days I was on my trip. All I drank was water water water. Also prior to my trip…I drank only water to flush my body from any toxins and any sweetness. I have to honestly say, since I’ve been following these steps…I didn’t get one single bite.

What a great information source! I also find the easiest and cleanest way to stop itching for at least 6 hours is blasting with the hairdryer on a fairly high heat until you feel a weird uncomfortable feeling in the centre of the bite, it only lasts a few seconds though so well worth it. You have to be careful not to overdo it and burn your skin but this works wonders so you forget you have them until you walk past a mirror that is! Blast a few times for a 10 seconds or so – you will know you have done enough once you have had the weird feeling in the middle of the bite. The same thing with very hot water from the shower head works too but think the hairdryer works better – same principle as the hot teaspoon and hot cloth. I am going to try the B vitamins and Avon skin so soft for prevention in future, thanks for everyone’s comments makes me feel less of a mozzy attracting freak and more ‘normal’!

I hope one of these works i have had like 500 different bug bites for about 3 days now and im a scratcher i can resist but to scratch so my bug bites are all open can anyone tell me what NOT to use if my bug bites have been scratched open thank you

I live in Australia, and I think most of the comments here are from US residents. 8 days ago took a flight from Melbourne to Darwin to go camping in Kakadu National Park. Smothered myself in repellent everyday but mosquitoes still got me. They did not swell up as they would have done if I had been bitten in my home state. But I got about 70 small ones on my legs from ankle to knee, several on my lower arms, some round my face and neck. They did not itch much. Returned home 4 days ago but last night woke with intense itching and felt on fire. Had to take a shower to relief itching. This morning the bites are about 4 times larger than they were originally were and very red and have white circles around each spot. Found this website and decided to try using roll on deodarant (Norsca) the itching has eased, have taken 2 Ipubrufen tablets, hoping they will act as anti-inflammotory. If no improvement think I should visit my doctor. Thanks for all the tips!

I have read through the entire thread and many ideas on here- some too scary for me to try as I tend to find that even if I get pain whilst applying, it does not override the itching- I get pain AND itching at the same time!!

What I have tried is salt- didn’t do anything for me, both with and without spit. T-bags- also did nothing for me what so ever, malt vinegar which also didn’t do anything. Also, Eurax cream which although said to “stop itching fast” and normally works on my eczema within 15 mins, did nothing for my bites.

Basicly I soaked a cotton wool pad with the stuff and rubbed it into the bites for a good few minutes (2-5 mins). Now heres the trick: At first it did not do anything, if anything made it itch very slightly more but not really even that. Then it began to sting- it was quite sharp and enough to not do this to small children, (so don’t as they will not thankyou for it!). After about 2-5 minutes of rubbing- the itch feels as if its not gone and so I gave up. Then, 2 minutes later- NO ITCH!! Its like a delayed reaction!

I thought it was just a fluke but I tried it on my (many) other bites and the same thing happened! I am not writing this with no itchy bites on my legs! (I had 30 that I can count shared between two of my calves).

I do smell like a medical lab but even the ugly red bulges have gone down! And no itch- I don’t mind smelling like TCP if I can sleep!

And I back the idea that sweet foods call over the mozzies- its the sugar in your blood they want- its fast fuel for them and how they get their energy. I have not tried eating citrus fruits (out of season right now in the UK) But may try to find something similar.

Oh- and no need to repeatedly swap over the cotton wool pad- I only had one last one and used it on all 30 of the bites- no problems, still worked.

The deodorant one works great. I actually got instant relief. My friend also showed me a great one that works really well; rub in hair gel on the bug bite, it works really well, the bite goes away so fast and the itching never comes back.

Sometimes I just feel like removing limbs after bites, I kind of wondered … would just a needle prick and squeezing it out work ? Because when I scratch them bloody a yellow oozy substance always comes out first and it feels good after that.

I just sat here and read all these posts making sure I picked out what I thought was going to be the best remedy but as long as it took me to read through all this, my bites have stopped itching a couple of replys ago. Many thanks! Happy Trails……… Jack

Witch hazel really works. This is a very old remedy. We keep a bottle in the medicine cabinet.You can find it near the hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. It is a distillation (like a hydrosol) of the leaves from a witch hazel tree. Works beautifully dabbed on with a cotton ball. (This is actually an ingredient in Tucks wipes, probably the Prep H wipes too.)

Last night, I got 17 mosquito bites and this morning I COULD NOT stop itching them! So I Google’d ‘mosquito bites’ and this is what I found. I just tried the ice cube, it did not work. I put deodorant on them about 20 minutes ago and its working! Thank you so much!!

I am telling you…if you try anything on this website it must be the hot spoon. It without a doubt absolutely positively works! My legs were bit up so bad that I was at my wits end..tried a lot of different remedies on this site. The only thing that gave me immediate lasting relief was the hot spoon! Don’t waste your time and money on the other stuff.

I tried the X over the bite and it made it itch worse. I have about 50 bites on each foot and ankle, I’m all stuffy in the nose now and feel like utter crap. I think I’m having an allergic reaction to it.

Last night (to go to sleep) I took a HOT HOT HOT soak with Epsom salt in it. It was scented with spearmint and eucalyptus and it helped SO MUCH. I’m gonna do that again in a few minuets, but oh god it was great.

I have just came in with bites ALL OVER my ankles – I was only outside for 10 minutes feeding my animals – and my ankles were itching off!!! I found this website and tried the vinegar on a wash rag and it was instant relief!!! Thanks for the tip – although I smell like mustard, it is worth it!!!

I tried two remedies listed here last night (one on each leg – both legs have lots of nasty bites!!!) and they both worked… I put Vicks Vapour Rub (the baby balsam one as didn’t have full strength) on the right leg and Tiger Balm on the left, for the first time in two months I did not get up during the night due to itching! Also, went and bought some B1 tablets today and have started taking them… the guy at my local health food store also recommended B1, so am keeping my fingers crossed!

I don’t know what it is but it seems like when i’m outside during mosquito season i’m always getting bit. I try to avoid going outdoors when the mosquitos are bad but sometimes going outdoors is unavoidable, i have tied some of the “remedies in the past to no avail. I tried the deodorant and it worked….but for maybe 10 seconds. I went to my grandmothers the other day and they just attacked my feet and ankles and i also got one on my hip and another on my stomache, i’m so miserable, i was able to sleep this morning but i woke up due to the itching getting worse….niether heat nor cold seems to work. I feel for anyone who gets bites, I know how bad it can itch because i can never seem to find relief. Thanks for the suggestions though.

Greetings! I’ve been dealing with a chigger attack this week. I’ve tried 2 commercial products that didn’t help at all, also tried some of the suggestions above (soap, apple cider vinegar, anbesol come to mind…). Two nights in a row this week, I was unable to sleep more than 1-1/2 hours at a stretch w/o waking up to a terrible itch on both legs (despite the above suggestions).

What seems to help a lot for me, believe it or not, is shaving cream. Put some on and leave it (don’t wash it off). Wear pajama bottoms or sweats (you can wash them later and it’s only soap, really!). The kind I happened to use had aloe in it – don’t know if this makes a difference.

It might sound peculiar, but it really knocked down the discomfort level enough that I could get some sleep. I hope this helps someone out in the future! Good luck!

I get hugely inflamed by an unknown bug in the late summer/early fall. To the point where half my arm or leg is swollen. Have not found a natural remedy that works for me at all (I’ve tried MANY), except the hair dryer which gives me relief for maybe 30 minutes to a few hours if I’m lucky. From what I understand, the heat rushes all the histamine in your body to that one point and your body cannot produce enough that quickly to cause the never ending itchiness that people feel when they have a bad bug bite. So the center of the bite becomes tingly and very itchy for a few seconds, and then fades.

So it’s getting nice and cool here in Memphis, so I decided to leave the door open for a while, air out the house, the day before yesterday.

It was a biiiiig fat mistake. I have so many bites on my feet, it’s…obscene. I think I’m going to tear them right off. I honestly think I might have considered dipping them in BOILING water, if it would have helped! Thankfully, a scalding hot spoon and generous application of an equally hot rag really DID help. Very, very much. I almost feel human again!

Hand sanitizer has been working, thus far, for short periods of time. To be entirely frank, they’re not QUITE bloody, but they’re sure not far off, and it burns like HELL when you put the sanitizer on. Feels really good though, after you get over the “oh OW, that STINGS” of it all. Stinging is a helluva lot better than itching, as far as I’m concerned!

So, went camping for two nights with my husband, son and some of our friends, and I was the ONLY one who got mosquito bites! Got home yesterday and counted them…no joke, 39 on my left foot and 31 on my right…mostly all around my ankles. I’ve always had my bites swell like crazy, but it’s especially hard to keep them from itching too around your ankles. I went crazy last night trying to sleep, as they were annoying the hell out of me, so this morning i got up on this site and tried toothpaste…OH MY GOD…if you use whitening gel, it works miracles on them. Be sure to rub it in pretty good though, don’t just skim over the top of them. Hope this helps cuz God knows I HATE mosquito bites!

Seriously, all you need to do is put your saliva on it. This is the only thing I’ve ever known to do, can’t even remember who told me, but it’s what you do. Put as much as it needs, your own saliva will do the trick better than anything else, and it’s safer too.

Im going to Sri Lanka in 3 days and im SO scared im going to be bitten badly (when i get bitten within 24 hours the bites get really hot, a huge red patch developes and a blister forms and grows and grows until it pops- sorry gross i know! The blister will then fill up again and again and just weep for atleast 2 days) its hell. Ive written down so many of your suggestions so thanks! I went to Italy 3 years ago and the chemist there gave me a cream and said apply it as soon as i think ive been bitten. It was magic- it would completely stop the bite forming. And if i applied it after the bite had developed it still helped to heal it really quickly. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS CREAM WAS CALLED IF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR TO ANY BODY PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! It came in a tube and the cream was white.

My 5yr old son gets huge bites that get very swollen and hard and warm to the touch. I put white vinegar (put some on a tissue and then dab onto the bite) on his bites and it helps a lot. I have used it on my own bites and it relieves the itch fairly soon after applying. If I apply to my son’s bites fairly soon after noticing them, the swelling is gone buy the next day, or sooner. If I miss a bite – it takes much longer to go down and stop itching. So the vinegar seems to work well for us and my son doesn’t itch afterwards.

My mom always said human saliva was the best remedy. That is, licking or spitting on the bite She said there was some enzyme in it that did the work. I’ve never had it work for me, and I also don’t recommend this if you have DEET or something sprayed on already *ew*

So I only have one mosquito bite but it has been driving me insane for days now (3 and a half days!!!) and it is honestly massive. the size of a dime.

ANYWAY

i tried putting metsal cream (similar to deep heat) on it and it may have helped a little, then i read about putting ginger on it but i only have garlic, and out of desperation i tried that and it seems to be helping although i still have a huge urge to scratch it. my next stop is the hot spoon and hand sanitiser. will report back.

I have some bites on my legs and i put these following things on them to treat:

-Tea Tree Oil,works but only a short time relief -Hot substances,works -Ice,works but is only also a short time relief -Tiger Balm,works -Hypericum, works -crushed aspirin,pandol etc., works -deodorant, it dosent work for me it just leaves a sting -Lemon Juice, moderate relief -Watermelon peel,banana peel, works -basil,works good results

I tried heaps others but i cbb to type the rest the majority of these items work but some can be dangerous to people with sensitive skin. Also, even though this list works it can lead to side effects when the bite has gone example..dry skin…etc.most of them are only short time relievers but if you put a few of them on together eg.tiger balm and Hypericum it creates a stronger ointment and a longer lasting result.

After getting my first mosquito bite of the season two nights ago, I had forgotten how itchy they could be. So, last night, I couldn’t take it any more! I kept itching the bite on my foot while lying down, instead of sleeping (very uncomfortable and awkward, might I add).

So, I found this site and first tried the deodorant, it only took the edge off. Still not satisfied, I tried putting a wash cloth under some hot water and applied it to the bite. That worked right away! Although, the bite feels a little tender/painful after applying the hot water twice, it still beats the heck out of the itchiness!!

No 1 The Hot Spoon Technique is 100% effective No 2 for kids – toothpaste partial relief garlic, salt, tea tree oil, vinegar, little or short term effect. But; Hot spoon does not work on Flea bites so still researching this.

If you are only being bitten on the legs its more likely to be fleas. Here in Crete Greece stray cats are a major source. The fleas can be tiny probably because the cats are small?? and very thin; they look like a thin black speck and you can only be sure that it is an insect by putting your finger close and see if it diappears (jumps). Took us a long time to figure this out. You can verify by placing a saucer of water with a drop of washing up liquid out in the dark with a small light next to it; the fleas jump in and get stuck. The next day check; you might need a magnifying glass to identify them (long dangly legs underneath – no wings). Johnsons Raid Max deals with fleas and their young and mothballs might help.

Just wanted to let you know about one that actually made mine worse! When i put Noxzema, the original cleansing cream, it made my bites swell back up like they did when i first got them! Made them swollen and itch more. Toothpaste counteracted it.

I´ve found that putting a hairdryer on the highest possible heat you can stand, directly onto the bite really does help. Keep blowing hot air on it for as long as possible (it will really sting whilst you do this) and then leave to cool. The bite will obviously still be there, but the releif I´ve gotten from this technique has been fantastic – up to six hours today (currently written whilst in an internet cafe in Majorca where the little blighters are out in force). Like a lot of these techniques listed here – heat really does seem to help.

I do whatever possible to avoid mosquito bites. However, regardless of all my efforts, I have one, and I do mean just one. I have one mosquito bite that started out about the size of a dime, now it is the size of a 50 cent piece. I am ready to aputate my leg! I have tried every single remedy on this page and none of them have worked. I hate my leg….

My mom always put an X through the middle of them with her finger nail and it really does work to relieve pain, even though it doesn’t feel good when you do it. She also took alfalfa pills to keep them from biting.

Other than that, I just tried the tape because I am at work and have nothing else and it seems to work for a short quick relief if you are going crazy like I am. It suffocates the bite.

I return to this site every year hoping there will be a miraculus cure for “the bite”. Already this year I have been savagely chewed on by mosquitos and no-see-ums. By accident, I have had to take allergy pills (loratadine)at this time. I have noticed that the itch is bearable and it does not keep me up scratching all night long. If I forget to take my allergy pills , the itch is unbearable. Hope this helps someone else.

I didn’t read all the comments so maybe this has been posted – ALOE VERA.

If you can buy a plant at your nursery, great – just snip off of the end about an inch, cut it like you’re butterflying a piece of meat and smear the moist inside of the leaf directly onto your bite.

If you don’t have your own plant you can buy a huge leaf at most produce centers in grocery stores for around a dollar. Store it in the refrigerator and it will be good for up to 2 months. Throw it away once it starts shriveling.

Not only does it allieve the itching and swelling – the bite will be GONE within 2 hours. There will be no swelling, redness or anything. Promise!!! I have used this for many years, as do my children and relatives – I’ll even take a plant or a large stem with me on vacation if we’re camping. It’s THAT good!!!

I tried the toothpaste one, was talking to my cuz joking around because i didnt think it would work, it actually relieved the itching immediatley. Gonna try some others to which one i like best. If you have just been itching the bite and you keep itching it, the toothpaste stops the itch but then has a very small sensation on the area. I only recommend toothpaste if you need to stop the chronic itch because a slight itch comes back

I have a 2 year old daughter that seems to have very severe reactions to mosquito bites. They swell up and make a knot. And they make her itch terribly. They last for at least a week. I have found that the Orajel stings and she refuses to let me put it on her. I have an Aloe Vera plant that we put on it and it helps a little, but not long term. I’m going to try the deoderant suggestion to see if it helps. I am just at my wits end here and thought I’d look and see if there were any suggestions and this site popped up. I’m going to save it and hopefully I can find something to give my little angel some relief. We just spent nearly 2 hours trying to get her to sleep because she itches so much. Thank you so much for making this list. If anyone else has any recommendations on what would be safe to use on a little one, PLEASE let me know. Thanks again.

I would just like to add that i too suffer a severe reaction to being bit ,but i never seem to be aware of the actual moment it happens so have to rely on after treatment , usually as well as the fact that i have probably scratched myself silly in my sleep . As i speak now i have a bite that was in the middle of my forearm and the swelling has extended from my elbow right down to my finger tips (imagine a tom & jerry cartoon ) you will get the picture , also with a large blister type thing in the middle. and this is just one of many i have .Even my ear looks like i have done 10 rounds with mike tyson . (who would think they would bite your ear ) Everytime i go on holiday it has been a nightmare ,and everytime i end up at the docs or even the hospital (and they are always shocked at the extent of my reaction). Extremely painful, itchy ,burning the works . I take anti-histamine tablets, put on anti-histamine cream, repellant ,spray myself before i go out, cover up and spray rooms . but they still get me . One thing i have noticed that it is dependant on the country i go too, the remedies that help always vary, when i went to turkey i ended up at the hospital and the blisters were all drained , i was given tablets and cream to help with the pain and itching, and for that holiday it seemed to work . My next holiday was in egypt and i took along the exact same items that had helped in turkey, but no again i was the rump steak , so off i went again to the doctors with medicine in hand , It was explained to me that egyptian mossies were stronger and the items i was using were of no use ?? So i then needed a very strong injection (which hurt like hell i might add ) more cream and tablets , which again seemed to work for the duration of my stay .This year i have moved to spain , again i was armed with every cream and tablet that i had ever been given , i even made the mistake (or maybe not ) of having some in my hand luggage with the intention of being fully covered before i got off the plane , the customs people took this off me ,despite my cries of desperation and pleas of understanding that i needed this stuff , Then one of the officers told me that i needed to take some vitamin b12 as he had been told off someone in the army , as i am stood there thinking where and what the hell is b12 , he told me to have marmite UUgh or bovril as that contains b12 …… ,thinking him an uncaring person to take away my saviour and offer me bovril i totted off, Anyway on the second day (heavily loaded with tablets and cream ) i went shopping and just happened to spot bovril ,and so i remembered the conversation and thought , well why not its worth a shot ,So every night before i went to bed i had a cup of bovril , and for 6 weeks not a bite ? I never really thought too much about it, i was just happy i hadnt been bit ,then i ran out of bovril and too be honest didnt think that much about it , i had the tablets i had the cream etc . but as i sit here now 1 week after running out, still taking the tablets and the cream and swollen like a sausage under the grill about to pop ,(and again i was told to go to the hospital as it was such a severe reaction) whereby they again have popped and drained all the blisters,covered them with iodine and bandages, gave me some anti biotics and sent me on my way to return in 2 days time. i wonder is the secret for me in b12 ? i check up on bovril yes it contains b12 but it also contains yeast which contains b1 which after researching on the net also seems to get mentioned ?? so maybe one of them is the answer .So i have decided as im not sure which was the deciding vitamin i will get a vit b complex which has both and see how that goes , as short of removing the offending limbs in question this time, i think i have tried every other remedy out there .So i will let you know how this goes. But too sum things up, there are many different types of mosquitoes and they all seem to respond to different treatments , there is no right or wrong . different type of people=different type of mossies=different areas of the world .

Anyone who could discover a generic cure that worked all the time for everyone would be very rich im sure … And i for one would love to find out . so off i go and hopefully make it through the night without further attack .

Hello there! Thank you for posting this. I was just outside with my dad trying to plant some of our corn when the mosquitos attacked. I have a ten bites and they are really itchy. I tried the salt & water and it worked! I’m relieved now of the itching and pain. Thank you so much!

the deoderant is working awesome for us. When she starts itching she comes and tells me and we put it on. And she smells good, LOL. Not that she stinks, but it’s an interesting effect that she seems to enjoy. Thhanks so much!

Ice in a bag, applied directly on the bite, for like 2 or 3 minutes, or until skin feels very cold. That’s what I am using right now. I tried toothpaste, and the soap bar, but they just irratated my skin more. So ice just kind of freezes the itch. I’m sure when the skin “unfreezes” it’ll itch again, but it takes the itch away for momentarily relief. Be careful though, don’t actually freeze your skin, once it starts hurting a little bit, take it off, and you shouldn’t really itch anymore.

i tried rubbing dr bronner’s all-one hemp peppermint pure castile soap (dry) on a brand new mosquito bite—(first of the year) and it helped, but better is rough up the skin a bit and then dab ice cold apple cider vinegar on it (the kind with ‘the mother’–look it up on google) and that helped take the itch away completely which never happens with me. also, i put some toothpaste on for good measure. so far so good. usually it itches for two days uncontrolably, but i have stopped the itch cold. vicks vapo rub helps keep the critters away, but i like a mix–a few drops each of tea trea oil, cedar oil, cinnamon oil, neem oil, a little patchoulli, vetiver and eucalyptus mixed with witch hazel. neem smells funny, so all you need is to use just a bit—safe for pets, too. i stay away from citronella because it stinks, –all these oils you can get in a health food store. plain old cinnamon is also good and safe to sprinkle around the house for ants and other household crawlers. good luck.

My all time favorite itch relief medicine is called “Ivarest” (or Medicated Ivarest). It is made by Blistex and is the absolute best thing I have found for both bug bites and poison ivy (which it is marketed for). I stumbled upon this product when I worked outside all summer long and found many occasions on which I needed it.

I love, love, love your website!! Thanks so much for all of the tips!!

to help with swelling,take a slice of lemon and put it on a grill or stove top(camal)to heat the outside of the lemon, and rub it on ur bites.It only helpz the itching slightly. This is an old mexican remidy tht has been used for years.

a great way to get rid of mosquito bites is to put alcohol, meat tenderizer(if u don’t have it or don’t want to use it you don’t have to use it), nail polish, vinegar, and mouthwash in a piece of paper and hold it on the bite and it should not only stop itching but also heal it.

Editor! Don’t use if duplicate but ingesting maximum allowed B-6 before trip to tropics did well to make blood taste nasty to mosquitoes. If bitten (ankles), press fresh garlic clove (cut end w/ X mark) stops itch by enzymes digesting the poison. Does make one stinky tho’ but I was at a French resort! Did nothing for sand fleas tho’!

yes i have tried the hot spoon theory but thats painful i have discovered a remedy which REALLY stops the itching without the pain:

1: rub a bar of soap on the affected area(s) until a creamy lather appears 2: run under warm water unti soap is cleared 3: Pat dry and apply a generous coating of both witch hazel(i swear by this astringent for almost everything) AND rubbing alcohol and itch should be instantly gone

THE DEODORANT WAS A GODSEND. amazing. I was in absolute misery, I even had bites in between my fingers! Now, all gone. I also applied nail polish remover, both worked like a charm with little sting. Great advice!

I have been itching since Thursday (it is now Monday). I was going out of my mind and my skin is scratched raw. I just used some Benadryl Itch Relief cream and it took about 5 minutes for the itch to go away. I don’t know how long the effects will be but the relief is mind-blowing.

Was at work at the end of my thether with itching, the bites on my hand and face driving me crazy, I take anti histamines all summer but that dosnt help my allergic reaction to bites. I used after bite and fenistil gel but they didnt work. Thank you thank you so much for the tip about the heat, didnt fancy the spoon so tried a small towell dipped in very hot water and held it straight on each bite several times, although painful you can feel the benefit immidately. Once dry i put a dab of Benadryl on each bite. The relief is amazing! Redness gone, itching gone, WOW

Well, literally i go absolutely nuts everyday of the summer. Mosquitos absolutely love me. I am taking odorless garlic (week two) and going to wash with an odorless soap. I am going to apply skin so soft/alcohol this weekend as well. Yesterday i bought reactine allergy pills, rubbing alcohol, aveeno anti itch cream and i am finally getting some relief. I must have been bitten 50 times this weekend, when using deet. I am so unfortunate. Right now the best thing that works for me to soothe is Rubbing alcohol. An amazing difference after applying. It will definitely be a keeper. …….i actually slept a full night last night.

Hey, got huge mosquito bite on hand and at work suffering! went to the kitchen area to see what i could use…i ran hot water over my hand for a while, dabbed some honey on it(old honey packet), and put tape over it. No more itch! Thanks!

My granddaughter is visting me here in Atlanta and the mosquitos are terrible this year. She was crying and I used the baking soda. It didn’t work and the lemon juice made the bites sting. I had some camphor phenique that said for insect bites on the bottle. I dabbed some on the bites and the itch stopped instamtly.

I just tried some generic acne astringent that I use daily for my face and the itching has almost stopped completely. I used rubbing alcohol first and it just made the itching worse, so I tried some toothpaste and wasnt really satisfied! the itching didnt go away quick enough for me!! so i put some astringent on a cotton pad and rubbed it in gently on the bites and done! so far it seems to be working! ill let you all know how long it lasts!

im just checking back in to let everyone know that it has been almost 24 hours and still no more itching! i was able to go right to sleep! also i noticed today when i awoke that the bites were gone. no redness or anything! give it a shot!

Tried toothpaste did not work for me. I tried peppermint oil and it worked great. It has a nice cooling effect to the affected areas and relieved the itching almost instantly.The effects were long lasting.

I love the vinegar trick. last night i was bit so much even after applying mosquito spray every ten minutes. my feet got it the worst so i put about a cup and a half of vinegar into a foot bath tub thing(:P) and the rest water, and it worked like heaven.

OHMIGOD! Thank you so much! I have about 45 mosquito bites covering my legs, back and arms from a recent camping trip and have been fighting with myself to keep from itching them. Then after reading this I realized I had Tea Tree oil in my house…I don’t itch anymore! Thanks much!!! XoXo Brooke

I have a mosquito bite that has been driving me half mad since almost 4 days now. I’ve been keeping ice on it, which works because it freezes the bite until the point it becomes numb. The problem though, is that once the numbing wears off, I’m right back to itching again. Something I’ve tried that seems to work a little bit is crushing up a benadryl and adding a few drops of water to make it pasty, and the rubbing it directly onto the bite. I’m going to try some of these other remedies I see on here too though.

I tried the Bananna peel and it didn’t work. But I did try my deodorant and it worked! Sometimes you might have to put it on a little thick but it works! The relief is almost instant. Now I’m gonna try some other ones if I don’t have access to deodorant

I keep a small plastic zip-loc bag in my refrig. with cotton balls saturated with SeaBreeze and when a mosquito bites anyone at my home, mostly grandchildren, they are quickly given a cotton ball to dab the site and it goes away.

I was sitting in my chair one night itching like crazy from a mosquito bite and I started playing with an inhaler I was given by my Dr for a cough I had and just randomly with being so bothered by the itching I sprayed the bite with the inhaler… First it stung for like 30 seconds and as the burning stopped I felt nothing! It was amazing! It was albuterol sulfate… Probably hard to obtain if you haven’t had a nasty cough lately or your not Dr but if you happen to have one laying around and or know someone else that does, go on and give it a try! Not making promises to anyone tho cuz everything works differently for ppl but good lucky! Mosquitos suck! Haha and not just in the literal sense either! Lol

In the past two years anytime I get a mosquito bite, it now turns into a huge red welt that takes at least a week before disappearing. Have 4 from working outside yesterday, didn’t realize it til this morning so for delayed applications Vicks Vaporub did not work for me but the tub I have is old. Tiger balm did work, I think due to the light burning/cooling sensation it causes. Heat applied via a wet microwaved towel is working on the ones I initially applied Vicks to. Thank you for this wonderful site!

I love all of the suggestions and trust me I will use as many as it takes to make the itching stop… but does anyone know how to get the swelling to go down… looks like I rolled around in an biting ant pile!!! GRRRRRR!

Well first you should wash your skin with a mixture of soap and water(gets rid of venom on surface.) Next if you have rubbing alcohol, apply that to the bite.(disinfects the area of the bite.) Then put some ice in a washcloth, and hold it next to the bites for about 15-20 minutes.(Helps the swelling go down.) Well liz i really hope this helps the itchyness and swelling. If not let me know. thanksss:D

This may sound crazy, but it’s a quick, short relief we use in Mississippi. Using your finger nail, make and X in the bite, then slap it. It will only give you relief for around 20 mintues, but if your out and don’t have any of these nifty things on you, it’s a really quick simple way to do it. I’m sure doing this causes cancer or something, but I’ve done it, and my Grandma did for me since I was a baby and I’m fine. Although mosquitos do love me. I’m currently nursing a total of 87 bites, and I’m working my way down the list. The vinegar bath helped ALOT!

I have no less than 50 bites on my legs right now (I look like I have the chicken pox) and I tried the toothpaste. It worked immediately, but faded quickly. I just popped an anti inflammatory and antihistamine so lets see how that works

Deer flies/green heads/etc. have been really bad for us this year and I’ve got a bunch of bites from them, as do members of my family. Any advice for managing these kinds of bites? They itch a lot and seem worse than mosquito bites.

While i was sleeping i got about 20 mosquito bites! I guess someone kept on opening the door , and let a whole bunch in! I have been veryy veryy itchy!! i have tryed the mouthwash and it worked awsome!! Although i tryed something new. Hand sanitizer also worked for me, but when you apply it, it will most likely sting but then go away after a few seconds. Is hand sanitizer bad to put on your bites??… just let me know, but if not it works great:] well thankyou so much for the tips, you are an life saver:D

So I was bit on my foot this morning and have been trying not to itch it all day. Obviously I failed and my foot swelled up pretty badly. I was looking on this forum for relief I could just grab out of my gym bag and found it! I put stick deodorant on it. Not only did the itching stop soon after but the swelling started to go down as well. Amazing!

The one remedy I have not seen in this thread is Lysol spray. My husband gets a mosquito bite and it swells up into a knot. His mother told us about Lysol spray. He tried it and it stopped the itching and the lump went away. I’ve also tried it on flea bites and it worked for me to stop the itching. Works every time for us.

My husband used Ultrathon insect repellent when he was in Canada (bought at Walmart here in the states. He said it worked very well to repel mosquitoes, best thing he’s ever used. We haven’t tried the Skin-So-Soft as a repellent yet.

Also, I notice several of you saying the bites are on your legs and feet. That’s most likely not mosquitoes, but flea bites instead… or chiggers, but those usually get your legs as well. They like any spot that is not covered.

I have read about all the remedys i could find on what to do with itchy mosquito bites. I swell very bad, and they itch like crazy. Best thing to do is refrain from itching, Use Triple Antibiotic Ointment plus Pain Releif. (neosporn) and then put some ice in a bag, wrap a paper towl around it and keep it on the bite. I also take Advil and benedryl Every 4-6 Hours. This helps with the itching and the swelling. Deoderant just seems to make mine sting, lemon juice doesn’t do anything. Spit and salt work for the littler less severe bites. Vics Vapor rub works but only for about 20 mins. Hot water just makes mine sting and more itchy.

Thanks for all the great suggestions though, an hope mine might of helped.

OH and one more thing. Skin So Soft by avon keeps those little suckers at bay. [: Happy summer.

Please NEVER put AMMONIA or BLEACH on your skin!!! Those are both very toxic to breath the fumes of, let alone put directly on the skin!!!

Also, under essential oils, Cedar oil should not be used without diluting it first with a carrier oil, and it should never be used on a pregnant woman, or a child under 18…Essential oils can be very dangerous if you don’t know how to use them properly

The bites swell up on me to the size of a quarter and itch for at least a week even if I scratch them till they bleed. I’ve tried Afterbite in the past and doesn’t work, neither does lavender oil or tea tree oil, for me anyway. Tonight I had tried honey before finding this site, after reading a few posts I tried really hot water with salt and it worked!! Thanks a million!!

OMG! Thank you! I am dying right now from about 4 bites on my right foot. In fact, the itching woke me up. Just tried the deodorant because it was the only thing I could grab in the dark and it worked. Thanks so much!

I couldn’t sleep last night – my bites were driving me crazy! I have about 40 on each lower leg and have never had such a reaction to mosquito bites in my entire life – they usually don’t like me. Well at 3am I got up and took a hot shower and ran very hot water over the bite sites off and on for a few minutes. I made sure that it tingled and then hurt a little. After the shower I also applied some acne preventative astringent and went back to bed. I haven’t itched since and slept beautifully!

I am so happy I found this site. I went to an outside wedding yesterday. I have at least a dozen bites on the top of each foot. I woke up last night from the itching and couldn’t fall back asleep. I tried everything, the cortisone, baking soda and water, alcohol wipes, I even tried a steroid cream I had. The only thing that has helped at all is hot water on a paper towl. I may have burned my skin just a little but it was so worth. I don’t know how I would have gotten through the day at the office otherwise.

I had bites on my leg that were so itchy I couldn’t get more than a couple hours of sleep two nights in a row. The second night I took two benadryl pills and some melatonin and I still couldn’t get to sleep because of the itching. I was miserable. I soaked the bites in a bath of very hot water and epsom salts for about 15 minutes and then after drying off I put witch hazel with a few drops of tea tree oil in it on the bites and was finally itch-free enough to be able to sleep. Since then I’ve been using the witch hazel and tea tree oil and that stops the itching for hours.

Ok, so I get hives whenever I get bit by anything that sucks my blood (mosquitoes, stable flies, etc.). I went out horseback riding the other week and got bit about 20 times by stable flies which are a mutant cross between mosquitos and flies even though I used a generic bug spray from the drug storre. I didn’t itch at all until after I got home to find huge welts on my legs and arms. I used sloarcane and that helped until the morning when i found I was itching in my sleep.I used more and it only worked for about 4 hours. Atiseptic wash only works for a little bit too. I’ve tried the heat and cold before and that just makes everything worse I used the water and baking soda and while that tends to work after your skin gets used to it it stops working. i tried the rubbing alcohol and that made it stop itching for awhile. and now the itching is back. I need a longer lasting solution that will also get rid of the swelling

i tryed alot of this and im getting mad itches so bd first itrye regular stuf and then liquid hand soap it just wont stop itching then i use the hand soap 2 times it kindda worked im gonna try to use deoderant now

OMG i am COVERED in the bites and i mean COVERED my arms legs and back have bites ontop of bites… So. I tryed taking a cold bath just now (cold as in COLD, with ice cubes)with some sea salt in it. It kinda stung so i slapped some Gold Bond on Now im not ichy and the swelling from the iching has gone down!

Here is a HIGHLY highly effective trick… For example if you have them on ankles, do this right before bed… First take 2 Benadryl tablets to help you sleep and prevent itching later (and we all know that this night-itching makes the bites itch days and days longer), then wait 30min, then run bathwater on HOT (no cold-knob on at all) – do not immerse your whole body in the bath, but just run your ankle under the stream, make the stream of water really light (really narrow stream) and make the water land right smack on bites. It will burn… but it feels really good because that “burn” is the same effect of the “scratching” – the histamine burn. Scalding hot water generally keeps histamine from relocating back to the bites for 7 hours or so, seriously. ANd histamine is why we itch – our reaction to that nasty mosquito saliva! Anyway, keep that water on there as long as you can stand it on all bites, then when finished “gently pat” (or air-dry) the bites… Then rub a super thin watered-down layer of over-the counter hydrocortizone cream (key – very very small amount of HIGHLY water-diluted cream) right on bites. Go to sleep. Pretty much a *guaranteed* night of itch-free peaceful sleep and the next day the itching *may* be gone forever on all bites, but repeat one or 2 more nights if necessary. I basically have to do this each time I go camping with 100% success rate each time. (Mosquitos love me unfortunately, and I have HIGHLY sensitive skin)

hello, I tried the toothpaste trick, and had a serious reaction to it and know my skin around the bites looks as if I had been burned. Also the areas are warm and swollen, and some are painful. Just a heads up!

I have a tried and true method not mentioned in the article above for relief…rub any kind of dish soap mixed with ground pepper on the bite. Instant relief and no more scratching! My feet got attacked tonight I swear I have ten new bites on my feet. I spread soap and pepper on the bites, put my feet into socks and I honestly don’t feel a single itch whatsoever!! I got the idea from my 10yr old niece last year and I told her she should market it.

My eldest got into the ants REALLY bad a few weeks ago. She wouldn’t let us put alcohol on her because it burned. So the first thing that popped in my head was the deoderant working on mosiquito bites. It worked instantly! I’m going to be putting a little container of deoderant in all our first aid kits from now one.

The absolute BEST prevention I’ve found is Neem. It’s a tree oil that you can get either straight or in soap. The oil smells a little funny, but the soap smells nice. Either wash with the soap during mosquito season or rub a dry bar on you before you go outside. No gross chemicals or smells. And it’s cheap. A $4 bar can last you for years if you just rub it on, or about two months for bathing. It can be hard to track down. I bought mine at Global Gallery, but Whole Foods has some neem products. There should be places to track some down online, too.

I just have to comment once more, based on personal experience. The real question for everyone here is “Do you want ‘instant’ relief that lasts 30 min, or 2 hours, or, all night long?” If your choice is “all night long” – try my hot-water-trick used above. Many of these random cures mentioned above do work extremely well – but, not for very long!

Long-term mosquito bites that itch and itch at night for weeks can greatly increase your chaces for Staph infections, rashes, or other secondary infections/complications. Get rid of it for hours, and be healthier. Just my 2-cents.

What really worked was the hot sppon trick! No you are not drawing anything out, but you’re overloading your receptors so they can’t feel the itch. You might have to apply the hot spoon a couple of times but after that it works!

Other things I have tried:

A paste of baking soda with water works, and a study from the Mayo clinic proved it, but for me it only works as long as the paste is wet on my skin. Once it starts to dry it starts to itch again.

This next one might not be for everyone but when the bite swells up enough that you can see the small bump where the mosquito bit you, I usually take a small sterilized needle and pierce it, and squeeze all the liquid out (not much, it’s usually a drop). This stops the itch and decreases the swelling, and the mosquito bites go away after that but then you’re left with a tiny cut where the needle entered.

I got bittten by several bugs while waiting oustside for my sisters to pick me up, soI decided to make a mixture of some rubbing alcohol and toothpaste, and it worked very well, i had instant relief from the itching.

It’s 5 in the morning and I’ve woke up, once again, because I’m being driven crazy by the itching from these mosquito bites I have all over my feet. Desperate for something, anything, to make it stop, I google with one hand and scratch with the other for home remedies to help quit the itch. Point is: i came to this site, read “deodorant”, applied (while thinking “huh?!? I’m putting deodorant on my feet!?!?”), and voilà! It instantly stopped the itching!!!! It-instantly-stopped-the-ITCHINGGG!!! I LOVE whoever you are that put this up because you saved me from late night hysteria due to non-stop itching with one single word: “deodorant”.

Huh … Last time I had mosquito bites, I had a handy, “roll-on” / rub-in medication stick thingy, lol.. It *kinda* worked… But I lost it the 2nd week I had it O_o … So now, when I have more mosquito bites [one on left thigh –don’t know I got that– and 1 on the back of my right leg/knee .. But it looks more like a spider-bite] and those are healing up, but now I realize I suddenly have one on my left forearm! Probably that little bugger I scooted off my laptop lastnight, lol.. Cuz I got the bite shortly after that.. He came back for revenge.. xD

So! I found this interesting site, with interesting techniques, with interesting comments.. I did a 3-in-1 combo! I used warm water, baking soda, AND lemon juice mixed! Lol, baking soda + lemon juice = Similar to BS + Vinegar effect.. xD [science] but hey, its working! It looks like.. sparkling instant-potatoes on my forearm, but its working!

Tip: If you’re making a halloween costume, and you’re doing a cut, or something on ur arm, and you need spirit gum to apply latex or w/e.. Just try water/baking soda paste. Its only been about 7 – 9 minutes, yet its hardened, and I can’t really get it off.. xD

when i was a kid we used to use our nail to imprint Xs in the bite lol that always makes it worse.

i woke up in the night with like 8 huge mosquito bites, my bf doesnt have any, and we live on the 20th floor and our windows were all closed tight. its not bed bugs or ants or spiders our apartment is bug free. i also dont take any medications i dont know what it could be but it itches intensely.

When i was little i had two remedies i used for mosquito bites: making and x with my finger nails and pressing a penny onto it. Now I don’t know if you should be pressing dirty pennies onto a bite, especially one that has been itched to death, but it worked the best for quick short term relief. I still use it every now and then but i prefer tea tree oil these days. It’s not too smelly, sticky or too oily and really helped with the pain and swelling on a nasty one i got on the inside of my knee. (btw) Thanks for the tips on here, i gotta try honey now.

I’m totally allergic to ALL types of mosquitoes and it’s dreadful…two minutes outside and I look terrible – anyway thanx for the tips – none of them really worked and since I live in South Africa I don’t have the type of medicine you guys have but some of them were useful…thanx again.

This is a bit of a drastic measure but always worked for me when my dad used to smoke, and I’m also from South Africa where we have to make do! If you know someone who smokes ask them to put the lit cigarette butt as close to your bite as you can stand and leave it there for a little while (about 15secs) and your bite won’t itch again! My dad used to do it for me, so get someone you trust but it is a tried and trusted method!

Recently moved to Australia, unfortunately one of the downsides is when I go out at night I get bitten several times. The worst has been tonight, with hardly any sleep. So far I’ve tried the following which give relief for up to 5-10 minutes, sometimes a bit longer. Also strangely, a remedy will sometimes work but other times doesn’t – any long-term solutions will be gladly received (excuse spl, hopefully you’ll get the drift being so late):

I’ve found a couple of these that work well for tick bites as well. A couple of years ago, I got into a nest of “seed” ticks while walking a dog. They’re extremely tiny and there were hundreds of them. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the tiny suckers until I had hundreds of bites from my big toe to my knee on one leg. They’re surprisingly fast movers. Needless to say, I had a very itchy and angry lower leg.

I filled a large bucket with warm water and added epsom salt and tea tree oil. I soaked for a while, then very gently patted my leg dry and elevated it to reduce swelling. It saved me many many uncomfortable hours.

***TAPE***TAPE***TAPE*** It really works! I have tried alot of the other home remedy solutions and they all are very temporary. Scotch tape on each bite immediately stops the itch and only needs to be reapplied after you shower.

Try keeping a roll on bottle of deoderant handy for an “after bite” solution. Apply as soon as you notice the bite. And re-apply and re-apply. It’s the aluminum that cuts the itch. They wont swell as much nor be as itchy and usually gone in 24 hours.

It is also great for soothing dogs bellies that are badly bitten and keep on using days later, especially for black fly bites. They are nasty && Itchy!

Absorbine Jr is another thing I use on the dogs.(and me as it freezes the bite and soothes the itch) The odour deters the dogs from scratching and chewing on bites and treats any possible infections brewing.

I also swear by the vitamin B complex .. it really works! Yer urine stinks and so do you to the biters! (not for pets)

my 15 month old brother is covered in mosquito bites, and its driving him crazy. my three year old opened the window in his room, and the screen was being repaied, so it wasnt in. there was a very large patch of long wet grass that i havent been able to cut because its so wet, right under the windo. i need to know which remidie works the best and the fastest, because i cand really get him to leave them alone, he just doesnt understand that hes not allowed to scratch.

and is there any way to get mosquitoes out of a room? because i swear, theyre everywhere. i have the door closed to the room so they dont spread all over the house, but they arent going away.

I have discovered that THE best, most effective mosquito bite, bee sting remedy of all is a mixture of smokeless tobacco and spit…mixed together to make a brown water…Just 1 drob most often will do the trick. This technique might disgust many of you…but if you want the itch and or swelling to stop…this works.

hi guys, my son is a year old, and i put him down for a nap and 4 hours later( yes it was a long nap, he didnt sleep too well lastnight(teething)) i go to get him and theres over 20 mosquito bites on his head anf face. i tried the combo of baking soda and water, but it didnt work because his hair is really long(he needs a haircut) and i dont have access to money because i dont have much, and i need to buy diapers and stuff..

does the banana trick work well? how fast does it start working?

also, would diaper rash cream or ointment work for this? i was wondering because it helps with blistered bums really fast, and a mosquito bite isnt a blister but it still irratates the skin, so wouldnt it work, and work fast?

To stop the itch & especially stop bleeding from the bite from too much scratching just scratch about an inch away from the bite & it will stop the itching aswell as stop irritating it. Also try school glue (the white stuff), spead it over the bite & let it set. Finally this 1 workd 100%, Benedryl or generic version, put directly onto bite, if it is a pill then crush it & make a paste with a little water and rub it on the bite

Firstly, thanks for all the tips and advice. Since I have moved to Italy from the UK I have suffered constantly from Mossie bites. Usually they swell up to the size of a marble and I have terrible itching. I have combined a few tips I have read on here to get some relief from the itch. First I clean the bite with alcohol or vinegar, then I do the hot spoon thing and finally I cover the bite in toothpaste. I have had a lot of success in stopping the itch like this. One thing I have learned the hard way is this…DO NOT SCRATCH. It just makes the itch intolerable.

Lanacane works miracles and Ponds Cold Cream works in a snap if you mix ‘em together they stop itch for hours, also use your nail make sure its clean then put a cross use spit or any of the above products it puts it into the bite faster relieving itch faster, hope this helped.

I got 50 mosquito bites all over my back. Ive got rid of the itch in 8 days and no I did not scratch. I used Calomine Lotion Costizone cream & after bite gel yes got rid of itch but tiny red spots remained I still use calomine hoping to dry them out but still there. Ive been on Antibiotics for 3 days now. And will be buying TCP Antiseptic next thinking of applying TCP on my back 3 to 4 times a day to see if this gets rid of these spots. Also considering Shea Butter or Benzol Peroxide. Benzol Peroxide is an Acne Treatment that peels the skin & get rids of acne spots so I wonder if it would get rid of mosquito spots? I got rid of the itch but mosquito spots remained any one else have this problem? I am thinking of going on the Sun & getting sunburn on my back would this help??????????

Go swimming in a chlorine pool for about 15 minutes & it should go away. if you’re too old for that, pick up some Cortizone 10 lotion. also, instead of puncturing the bite, if you heat up a needle or something made of metal & hold it up to the bite & slightly tap it on the bump. this one hurts a little, but you will see the poison ooze out. (ew!)

Turns out I have 12 bites and the toothpaste, nail polish, and tums w/ water failed. I’m now going to try the soap on my bites. Oh, another thing you can do is apply anti-itching ointment on the bite and then putting a band-aid on it. It works for my friend.

Well, A lot of those remedies I tried on my husband….. and they failed, miserably. However when he wasn’t looking I was thinking what the heck it cant hurt to try my Pantene Pro-V heat and shine protectant spray. Go figure after spending all the time with the other remedies, that worked instantly. Im off to go try the Pro-V on mine now….. wish me luck

It’s kind of funny because everyone here’s like, “I went to a bonfire and got bites” or “I went camping and got a zillion bites” and stuff, and the funny thing is that I got over 10 bites sitting in my living room watching TV! HA! There was ONE FREAKING mosquito in my living room and it went nuts sucking my blood EVERYWHERE!

Anyways,

SOAP: I just tried smearing bar soap on my bites and sitting at my computer for a half hour while they STILL itched, but when I washed the soap off with COLD water, I stopped itching for 15 minutes…………and then the itch came back…

BAKING SODA W/ WATER: Doing it right now, and it seems to REALLY work. First off, make the mixture REALLY THICK. If it’s not thick enough, it will run and drip, and it also doesn’t work as well. Secondly, use COLD water, as cold as possible, it will help with the immediate relief. Then, apply it GENEROUSLY to your bite, pile it on! For me, at first you get the immediate relief from the coldness, then after that subsides, I get a slightly stinging/burning sensation…..feels REALLY good after all that itching!

I get allergic reactions to mosquito bites. They swell up like crazy and turn into bruises after they stop itching. I just tried the spit cure, which has never worked in the past, but it seems to be helping with some bites that have been driving me absolutely nuts! Maybe the difference is something I ate??? So in case that’s what it is, I had: tomatoes, basil, & tempeh sauteed in olive oil that I’d simmered a bunch of garlic in first. MMMMMmmmmmm. Maybe the garlic or the basil made my spit more effective??? My instinct, ever since I was a kid – and my mother hated when I did this! – was to burn the bites. Also instant relief. I think instead of burning them on the hot metal of the car, though (like I did as a kid), I’ll try pressing a washcloth soaked in super-hot water. It seems like that would open the pores and help draw out the mosquito saliva better. I also used to do the “x” over the bite with my nail, but heat has always worked better for me. Try a hot washcloth, everybody! Or eat lots of garlic and rub your own spit on them! Seriously.

I did hot tea took some cotton balls and the cotton balls absorbed it but be careful it going to be very hot…. take a paper towel and hold the cotton ball with it, and just smug the hot tea cotton ball around your bite and it will stop the itching 100% but be careful bc it will be a little hot around ur skin so dap it on the bite and u will feel great like i do now.. and it stays for a long time without the itch!!!!!!!!!!!

About three minutes ago I applied some icy hot to my multitude of giant bites. They continued to itch for about a minute (except for the ones I had put ice on previously) but now I wouldn’t even know I had the bites if they weren’t giant, red, and all over my legs.

I have been bitten maybe 20 times in my life, none since my teen years, but my wife and daughter get lit up regularly. A few drops of Epsom salts solution (MgSO4*7H2O) stops the itching for my young daughter right away.

Lee Valley sells (or used to sell) a lovely little thing called a therapik. It runs on a 9 volt battery and has a little light on one end. You put the little light over the moisquito bite and press the button. Hold for 15 seconds or until uncomfortable. What it does is apply heat directly to the moisquito bite, which neutralizes the little bit of toxic stuff from the moisquito. Works great almost all the time. You do need to make sure the battery isn’t run down so you get the full effect. We take it out on the golf course with us.

I tried the hot hot shower and Hemorrhoid cream it worked for me and I have like 25 bites mosquito and chiggers!I live out in a wooded area so every time this year I suffer with the itchy pests!This is the only thing so far I have found any relief from!

I have to agree about the blood type. I have never heard about this,but I am A+ as well. I have the same problem with mosquitos. My son as well. I feel so bad for him becuase I know what pain and torcher he is going though. It seemed to get slightly better with age, but that is just due to not beeing outside as much. We have tried everthing, down to making him wear pants all the time. The new clipons are so heavy, he cannot play with it on, and they bite him through the sprays. I can not heal the ones he has without he getting more, its crazy.

This weekend the mosquitoes make a feast of me!!! They leave me with about 90 bites…. I can hardly believe it, and relieve the itch and pain, I tried everything: 1) Benadryl, work for 5 minutes, 2) BiteMD, didn´t work, 3) Vinegar, relief but not enough, 4) Baking soda, same, 5)Ice packs, worked great, off course while keeping them on the bites, 6) Tea tree oil, worked, lasted the effect about one hour, 7) Dermoplast, the effect last for some 2 hours, 8) Campho-Phenique, the relieve last for 1.5 hours, 9) Mary Kay after sun replenishing gel, the relieve last for about an hour, 10) Just Eucasol natural oil, relieve for about 2 hours…. so I decided to put any ointment along with the ice packs and try as possible to keep myself on air conditioned areas…. my best selection: ice packs all the time!!!

I have AB+ blood. Since many different blood types are listed here, I doubt blood type is an issue. I recently moved to the mid west from the west coast…maybe the bugs like new blood lol. I used bug repellent on an outing and it didn’t help much. I still got attacked. I get huge welts/swelling and the itch is unbearable. I honestly look like I have the mumps because I got bit on my jaw line and near my eye. Good thing I am not a super model lol. Looking at the remedies listed on this page, here is what I have tried and the results so far:

bleach-NO ammonia (not with the bleach) NO baking soda- NO Benadryl spray-HA what a joke-NO toothpaste -NO Tea tree oil- a little relief but only mild and short term Vicks – same as Tea tree oil Hot Spoon – so far this has worked the best and longest. I need to repeat about every 20-30 minutes, but it does give me some relief..thank you! I thought this one might have more merit with me because last week I had a bite on my forearm that swelled up enough to make consider getting an anchor tattooed on it and walking around with a can of spinach. When I was washing dinner dishes I ran really hot water over the bite and got relief for quite awhile. The swelling went down as well. By the next morning it didn’t itch at all.

To the person(s) who said not to scratch…can you meet me behind the gym afterschool?…I want to have a little chat with you! (JOKING!!)

It’s nice to see so many options listed. It seems what works for some doesn’t always work for others, so it’s good to have different remedies. Thanks!

I often use any kind of balm that has methol, it gives a refreshing/cooling feeling ^-^ Also I wouldn’t recommend rubbing your skin with a banana peel. One day I was too lazy to throw the banana peel and put it just next to me. Time later there were six mosquitoes eating the banana instead of biting me. Personally I think that banana might give you a relief… but that relief is really not worth it if you are about to get bitten again.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that I discovered this website! I have 4 bites on my neck and nape area and they were driving me insane. I tried the deodorant trick … viola! It works!!! I am so amazed! The funny thing is that I’m a doctor and I was skeptical at first but after applying Hydrocortisone cream to no avail, I was desperate. I applied the deodorant around 20 minutes ago. I noticed improvement immediately. It’s probably 90% less itchy now. Thank you to all of you!

My two oldest daughters went camping with their grandparents this past weekend and came home covered in mosquito bites. Over course they were constantly complaining about being itchy. After Bite just didn’t seem to cut it for them. After finding this site, I tried dabbing a little vinegar on them and it seemed to work just fine with them. Of course there is gonna be some momentary stinging if the bite had been scratched open but even the ones that weren’t scratched no longer itch.

One thing everyone should bear in mind is the difference between heat and ice. Heat stimulates blood flow, so theoretically, using hot water as a treatment for mosquito bites, while it works, would probably only make it worse in the long run. One thing your body does to try and ease the symptoms and clear the chemicals the mosquito spat into your blood stream is to spread it out. This is what makes them so large in area span. I actually have a very very tiny little bite on my index finger’s knuckle and it spans that entire area for a good half inch because my body has been spreading it around.

Ice or cold water would be a better idea, especially if it is beginning to swell. Ice will discourage swelling (and thus most often the pain too) and slow the spread. Soaking in a salt water bath or simply soaking the bite itself in salt water would be a good idea as well, as salt kills bacteria and prevents infection. Garlic will do the same (it is a natural antibiotic). The itching WILL come back after a while if you choose to use cold things, but you can just put the ice pack back on for a few minutes. Extreme heat will confuse your nerves enough it stops itching, but you have to wonder how much extra damage it does, whether it’s making it spread around (and thereby making it worse) or not. Watch the ones on your neck if you have any, I have two and they’ve been really good about not swelling, but if they DO that can spell serious trouble. Ice them.

One more thing; make sure you are getting enough Vitamin C and other immune system boosting nutrients, not just during mosquito season. Typically fruit juice (like orange juice) will yield a lot of Vitamin C, enough to help your immune system fight off the chemicals the mosquito injected much quicker. If you don’t want to suffer for days on end, HELP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM FIGHT IT, don’t just settle for quick topical relief.

Ever since my kids were little, we have been putting an x on the bites by pressing our finger nails into the bite until we leave a mark. It always worked for us and now they are teaching this to their kids. Maybe it pushes the mosquito saliva out of the bite… not sure but it works.

i will deffinetly use these tips i hate mosquito bites and i have some more put aloe on it i know its for sunburns but it works for me and another is make an X on the mosquito bite with your finger nail it hurts but works

I get very bad reactions to mosquito bites so i tried (after looking at this website) the following suggestions:

Cider Vinegar – Worked for about a minute Lemon Juice – No reaction Toothpaste – Worked until it dried (about an hour)

At this point i ransacked the medical drawer and found some Canesten cream. It immediately stopped the itching and the severe swelling reduced. I am still using it two days on as there is a mild itch but the improvement is impressive.

Im allergic to Mosquitos and I get a huge welt wear the mosquito is but then I use Aloe Vera gel during the day on my mosquito bites then a benedrill ( idk the spelling so I spelt how I saw) pill during the night

Deodorant worked alright, but not completely, toothpaste worked wonders and it’s just not for brushing your teeth or for use on bugbites, it is also for getting permanent marker of skin and some metals, it works great on skin. There may be a little bit left if you look real close, but otherwise it’s unnoticeable! Clean And Clear Facial Astringent works great on bites too! And No See Ums are terrible! For those of you who don’t know what they are, they are tiny bugs that usually bite the back of the neck. And they cause little bleeding that isn’t noticed right away. And when you do notice it is is all dry and disgusting. The felt ink pen doesn’t work that well for me, but spit does. Mixed with water and a teaspoon of salt it works wonderfully! Thanks for the tips!!

Mosquitos love me… I have a garden and just being close to my garden or outside in the evening, I always get zapped. I’ve tried all products on the market, other things friends have told me to use and I find the best thing for mosquito bites is: Baking soda….

By my sink I keep a box of baking soda especially for bug bites. To apply to a bite, I wet my finger, dip it into the powder and rub it on the bite. That’s all you have to do.. it stops the itch and gets rid of any redness from the bite. The next day all you see is the bite mark which goes away in a day or so. Hope someone tries it. I swear by it.

I quite often get bad reactions from misquiot bites, last night I had and infection from one on my finger so last night I decided to put peroxide on it and the itch stopped and there was no infection when I woke up this morning. I’ll try it again next time and see if it works as well.

i came across something listed that i had handy and tried it out, the Tea Tree oil remedy, i actually have tea tree oil face wash and other face products.. i just rubbed some of it on & itch went away within 5mins. !!!!!!!! Dam i hate them skeeters! hope this works for yall too !! goodluck!

TY everyone for all the great suggestions, and the discussion of the possibly less-so-great ones

My bites are just over two days old. Originally I treated as an allergic rash (so much swelling and redness that I didn’t see the individual bites). Initial treatment with cremes worked, but loss effectiveness after 24 hours.

So, short version of what I found – immediate response: hot water bath and cortisone creme was no good – within an hour: Camphor cooling gel worked great, but required re-applications and stopped working after 24 hours – two days after: ice packs provided very temporary relief while 10 second applications of a spoon left to heat in hot water (microwaved 1 min in microwave) got rid of most of the itch and is still working an hour later)

I just got back from camping in Northern Ontario – the mosquitos are numerous they are (really not kidding) called “herds” by the locals (really not kidding – I over heard it in the grocery store). An odd woman in the next site recommended Absorbine Jr. which I have used for sore muscles. I nodded politely when she brought some over. Within minutes I had my hubby in the truck to go get some. It is even recommended on the label. It was orginally used for horses. Anyway it helps a lot and I’m on allergy shots for mosquito welts. Take care and remember mosquito bites are better than bear bites! lol

Must say that my blood must be high in sugar, because somehow a small mosquito got into my house over the weekend, and feasted on every are he could see. I have a total of about 20 bites, ranging from my feet to my inner thighs. This damn thing totally ruined my pedicure, and my ability to get a restful nights sleep. I had an allergic reaction to the bites, and my throat began to swell. So not fun at all! I managed to not get bit all summer, and this one little mosquito comes in and changes all that. Trust that when I found him, he died a slow death! I am going to try EVERYTHING on this list, and let you know what worked best for me. You all’s comments have helped so much, thanks a bunch!

SKIN-SO-SOFT by Avon! I have the oil spray and if you apply it to keep them at bay-it will…moskitos don’t like the smell! I didn’t use it Sunday cause I never would have thought that mosquitos were still around end September but it was like summmer so…they musta made up for lost time with me cause while I only had one bite this summer they went crazy on me Sunday. Right now I did the ice pack-relieved smelling and then covered the bites with underarm roll paying attention to pack it on the bites to over the openings cause I remember on CSI about 2 years ago they menionned that the reason why it itches is because of the opening and that is what makes it itch-the air going inside the opening. On CSI they were using clear nail polish to close the opening but while I used it before and it worked after applications, I’m afraid it might eventually cause infection & I don’t think it is safe. Thanks for the tips everyone! Mel in Montreal.

One day I woke up with 5 bugbites on my stomach. I thought”Must be the day”. I also have currently 4 (VERY ITCHY) mosquito bites on my knee and four clumped together on my thigh. 24 on my ankles, and today I woke up with 15 all clumped on my belly. We have fleas(Welcome to virginia), but they are too big to be flea bites. We checked for bedbugs, but didnt find any. Any advice? I dont go in woods, and its getting cold for bugs.

Came back in with mosquito bites all down both legs and on my feet… found these tips and then applied dabs of malt vinegar, which worked almost instantly. The vinegar suppressed the bites; there was still a slight itch but they were no where near as irritating and heated as before. I would really recommend applying vinegar.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am sitting in Sydney, Australia with over 40 bites on my legs and arms. I took a hot shower and followed this with your vinegar tip – the relief has been almost instant. My bites are massive and swollen – so its a relief to not itch! I might smell like chips but at least I don’t need to scratch. Great site – thanks!

why get bit by a mosquito,when you can prevent this by taking vitamin B1 tablets,,if going on holiday take one tablet every day 3 weeks before you go and contiune taking them while on holiday,,i used to fet bit loads of times while i was in the royal air force going on detachment around the world ,,but someone told me about these tablets and never got bit ,,,so try this very good tip and bet you you wont itch or scratch ,,,

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) – Hands down!! After years of (truly) suffering from my allergic reactions to mosquito bites, I was at my wits end. The intensity of the itching was unbearable. My body’s reaction was so strong that I would swell like a balloon and scratch till I bled. I came across a some postings regarding Vitamin B1 aka Thiamine. The people that found significant relief were taking a MINIMUM of 400mg DAILY, as prescribed by a number of pharmacies in the mosquito infested tropics. Interestingly, the only people saying it didn’t help were people taking much lower or smaller doses (100-200mg/day). It simply wasn’t enough. I was ecstatic this past summer to find that it really does work!! Thank you God!!! I found the occasional small red spot, which I can only assume was a bite but with zero itch or swelling. In 40+ years it is the first time I have found relief. PS – Thiamine is water soluble (like vitamin c) and therefore is not harmful or worrisome in these amounts as the body simply flushes out, in your urine, any extra which it cannot use. Natural and safe!!

i seem to attract itchy bites quite often, but what worked for me is tomatoes, slice a bit of tomato and hold it dowm on your itchy bite for about 15 secs and then put a metal spoon in hot water and hold it down on the bite instant relief

I just got home from Costa Rica and have 50+ bites on my legs and arms.

One thing I see a lot of people suggesting is hot baths and other heat treatments. I DO NOT suggest this. Every time I take even a warm shower the circulation in my legs increases causing severe itching. The sensation is not as intense during the day and hydrocortizone cream helps. In the evening after bathing, however, the cream does not seem as effective. Taking ibuprofen and benadril orally alleviates some of the itching.

SALT & TAPE WORKED FOR ME!! HI yall ! Tyoe 0+ here. read every post last nite. I got bit but could not see what. Had a bee sting 6 months ago almost itched then as bad as this thing inside the thigh. Only relief was ICE. If I used a cube and kept it on the site long enuf…did the trick,but wore off in a few hours. This time the welt around the puncture (of spider or whatever) was starting to resemble a target and it was the weekend. The closest facility was Cleburne,TX the Harris hospital.Turns out if it raises instead of sinks, it is not brown recluse…might as well have been,cuz the attendings all said “oh!” when they saw the site.Circle #1 was 1/4″ white around the bite or sting hole.#2 was dark pink with a white underneath it making it look sorta cloudy,#3 darker pink and oblong like about 1/12 x 3″.and ragged edges. The outer area #4 could not be covered with my hand lighter pink but pale pink streaks could be seen. I received the tetanus shot took 4 tablets and prescriptions for prednisone,sulfamethoxazole trimethoprimm,and Hdrocodone-acetaminophen…but didn’t get the prescripts filled, living in a rural community has it’s disadvantages.

well the bite happened Sat around 2p and I went to the hopsital sunday around 4:30p was just a tiny itchy and no real pain. By 2am I was up looking for itch relief (other than ice),and started looking for what would work for me. Had tried some of these from bee sting and Nothing (except the ice cub)helped or just temporary, INCLUDING m own spit. I thought for a minute the cold milk was working,but just because it was cold. I Do think that the cold milk helps cure a sunburn,but maybe because it is cold. Safeguard (white) antibacterial soap works for me on posion oak,but not ivy…however, the clear fingernail polish works to smother ivy if I get to it while it is in the little trailing dot stage. Because I knew that, and lots of folks said tape… I was trying sea salt even without liquid, and I actually felt relief, so I sprinkled sea salt onto some clear packing tape and covered the entire area. Then i used a bag of frozen rice for an ice pack, so got that out of the freezer, placed it over the tape…and Finally dozed off. I woke when the ice bag fell off once or twice,but other than that…I SLEPT PEACEFULLy! Woke up at 9am,which was close to 5 hours of rest…and the area was hot and still red,but the swelling was down . I have been up an hour, and the itch is almost completely gone still. oh and the entire circle #2 is hard from whatever that poison is. Now I will head to the pc doc and have him check the prescripts and go get them filled. BUT OH THE SALT AND TAPE!!! THANKS TO ALL OF yA’LL! I guess some of the relief was from the pills,but since the salt and tape was instant and lasting…We have to conclude works for me.(at least this time) I also treat my lawn with sulfur grains or pellets whichever the feed store has a large sack of. cost from & $11 to $22. spread it in a circle starting from the foundation of the house around the entire property. Can see all types of insects starting to jump and exit as I go. Do this before a light rain if I can,cause it is a fire hazzard. A downpour will wash it away. Got started doing the sulfur,to repel snakes..This is rattlesnake country and we kill a 4 to 6 ft one every summer. I live at the lake,and I have never seen so many Bugs ever…But if I get the sulfur on we do not get chiggars and less mosquitos. My sister lives in rural north texas and she keeps a sulfur powder sock that she spanks on her ankles and thinks that works. She is 0+ too if that matters. oh, Fyi RATTLERS LOVE THE BLUEBONNETS…I cringe every time I see ya’ll out there taking pictures with the kids sitting in the bluebonnets. They also love monkey grass. And bolders and white rocks…Believe me, ” There is always a snake in the garden and the wood pile. Just because you don’t see it,Does not mean he is not there!”

I use the salt trick. But I use kosher salt because it’s more abrasive. What you do is this: 1) take one bowl of water and one bowl of kosher salt 2) stick one finger in water dab a little on the bite 3) take that same finger and dip in the salt. Rub like lady macbeth on the spot. Then when my skin is tore up from the kosher salt rub, I soak a paper towel in ammonia and wrap the spots in that. And I don’t care if the bite remedy does kill me or leave marks. The pain, irritation, swelling, and misery will kill me also. People need to not be so self righteous. Happy abrasions! Lol

I had 30 40 or more bites all over my feet and legs and was very miserable with the itching. I tryed benedryl, cortozone 10 and was still itching. i came on here to find something to give me some kinda relief. I seen they had mouth wash on the list, i have dr. tishners at my house i poured it on my legs in desperation lol it actually worked right away impressed and thankful!

Ok so I thought my mother was crazy! Today a friend that loves to smoke cigarette came by and we sat outside while he smoked. So my legs were a feast to all those suckers. And when I came back inside I remembered my mother telling me to rub GARLIC on the mosquito bites. Even though I was very skeptical I did it! And as soon as I was done I sat on the computer to look up other remedies. And before I even finished reading the list above, the bites have shrunk and don’t even itch anymore! Yes it stinks but omg it works.

I know this sounds weird but everyone tells me mustard. I tried it and it works for a while so then i tried Dijon mustard and it worked wonders. It relieves itchiness while i was sleeping. Best nights sleep with tons of mosquito bites ive ever had.

I use hand sanitizer all over the affected area. It gives me enough relief to get to sleep. I am highly allergic and attractive to mosquitoes. My bites can get to be the 3 inches or more across and they scar.

Okay I have tried quite a few of these now and tooth paste seems to be one of the best one but only relieves the itching for about 5-10minutes :/ the best is actually popping them ah instant relieve! I returned from Corfu with over 70 bites all from my last night there! Thanks for the tips and I’m gonna keep trying more!

You have to take care of it at the root of the itch,… If you aren’t satisfied with temporary relief, there is one way to expedite it. Just putting things on it, topically won’t get to the root.

This works for me very well: take a hot shower and wash the bites well. Do a dry brush or loofah if you can. Then you take a thin bobby pin and poke bite at an angle. There should be very little or no pain from the warmth of the shower, the skin will open easily. Then squeeze out the mosquito saliva (a bit of blood too) and then wash thoroughly again.

To prevent mosquito bites try Skin So Soft! Helps your skin and keeps them darn bugs away!! It feels like they are landing on you but they arent! Two birds with 1 stone! And to get rid of them poke a saftey pin or needle lightly into the center of the bite. It hurts alot but it goes away!

The little creeps always manage to find me! I have 20 bites on each leg. They itch onbearably. Nothing works at all exept soap and ice. I can’t do anything they itch so much. I think I’ll try toothepaste. Maybe it’ll work.

I didnt have anything around me to put on the mosquito bite but i found duct tape in a garage drawer and wrapped it around my foot over my bites in within 10 minutes all itching was gone! (dont do the duct tape too tight)

cut a raw slice of onion and rub on bite–they say it pulls out the poison that makes you itch, by tommorrow its gone. I will save the rest of this onion in a baggie but not to cook with. Just those skeeters.

I love the toothpaste idea if your out and do not have a onion.

Also when we go fishing I have a spray bottle of Listerine mouthwash, I will spray all over me, it works cause I did it and hubby did not, He got ate up and I didn’t. so yes it works.

I used Blistex LIP Medex in a little blue jar. (kinda looks like a blue carmex jar.But it’s Blistexes brand&yes I also tried Carmex!) I took a little of the stuff typically used for lips&rubbed it into the bites really well.I felt a relief in less than 90seconds.

MY orajel is at my moms I’m going back in 2 days!!! Itch like crazy!! So I tried the deodorant thing and it kinda works. Not good enough for my skin. I woke up scratching at 6am!! So…….. Might try the dry ice cube!!!(:

The banana peel thing helps a little, if you leave it on the itching stops but once you take if off its instant itch. The toothpaste works for a while–I actually put the toothpaste on and then put salt on that because I head it helped but it only did for a while…it seemed like they were actually attracted to it afterwards. But deodorant totally works!

OMG My daughter has bites on her legs from day camp and she was miserable. with nothing in the house to help we went with the Banana one. WOW WOW WOW. Within a few seconds she looks up and says IT STOPPED! Thank you for the great advice and what a hell of a thing to know. Banana skin stops the itch. YAY!!!

THANK YOU SOOOO MUUCHH!! I have so many bites on my legs and arms and I don’t even know what bit me. I was desperate looking for something to calm the itch. Unfortunately for me, I’m house sitting for a sibling and she had nothing in her medicine cabinets for itch relief. My mother always burns a half a lemon/lime and then puts it on the bites, usually mosquito or flea bites, and that does the trick. Unfortunately, she didn’t have lemons nor limes and I resorted to the internet. The banana peel worked perfectly! It took about 3 rubs to take effect, but it worked. Thank you

I did tooth paste until it didn’t itch and that worked for a little while but I had to go out in public so I couldn’t have toothpaste on my foot. Rinsed it off softly with warm water and worked like a charm for several hours!

HEY! I’m just gonna say, I have some mammoth masquito bites and some no-see-ums up and down my legs. I tried toothpaste all today. It worked the first 3-4 times I applied it. Then tonight it stopped working. So laying sleepless and after caving for an itching frenzie or two I tried the baking soda one. Worked a little, but I wanted to try cutting into it and squeezing out the venom idea. Nothing came out, I just got an EXTREME wave of horrific itching fever. Ran downstairs and bathed the infected area and then I used WHITE VINEGAR. Get passed the first few seconds of “AARRGGH” and then bingo. And now I shall sleep.

Last summer I had 96 (yes, ninety six) bites just between my shoulders and on my back. Not mentioning my legs or arms or stomach. I rubbed them with dry soap, sprayed with them windex ( the ammonia relieves itch) and then covered my skin with warm washclothes before bed. When I woke up they were just about vanished, and there was absolutely no itch.

I would say the most important thing to remember is “DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SCRATCH IT!”

The more you scratch, the more it will itch, and it becomes a vicious circle of scratching followed by increased itching followed by increased scratching…..

Eventually you scratch to the point the skin is gone, it bleeds, and you get an infected itchy bite you can not stop scratching because it now itches beyond belief, and hurts because it is infected.

SO how to treat?

As soon as I realise I have been bitten (rather than have a normal itch) I apply “Germolene antiseptic with local anaesthetic.” The antiseptic seems to be good at preventing the bite getting infected, and the anaesthetic stops it itching long enough for me to not want to scratch for the first few critical hours, after which it no longer itches because I have not been scratching it.

Prevention is better than cure.

WASH YOUR FEET, and CLEAN UNDER YOUR TOE NAILS!

I heard somewhere once that mossies love the smell of sweaty feet, especially those feet with lots of sweat soaked dead skin trapped under the nails. It is the smell that says “Dinner is over here.” SO one holiday in Greece I followed that advice. I cut my toe nails before I went on the holiday & carefully cleaned under them with a nail file. I then used a nail brush twice daily while in the shower on them to keep them clean. During a BBQ at the hotel a lady on a table near me got eaten alive, covered in huge red bites. She had huge painted toe-nails. Who knows what was under those painted nails! I did not get bitten once, and prior to this holiday I always used to get eaten alive.

The tums paste work for me and I also tried the tea bags it work like magic! : ) but I stratch my bug bites a lot so mine was a little cut opened I guess it went inside of my skin but it worked well ice cube only lasts for a moment but it helps

Grandpa’s old remedy using something that is always available: Your own saliva! Sounds wackadoo but totally works. I just lick my finger and wipe rub it on the bite. I got attacked by a roving band of the evil Asian Tiger mosquitoes recently. The bites of those suckers burn and get super welty for me but grandpa’s remedy worked almost instantly!!

Toothpaste worked for me instantly but it stoped working after a few Mins so I put more on ( a thicker layer) and its lasting quite a while it’s been about 30 mins and it’s not itching again yet toothpaste also helps with boils pimples and I heard it works on burns too.

I have been making my own Mosquito bite remidy for 30 years. It works better than anything I’ve ever tried. I got the idea from a dear friend of mine who had a granddaughter that would get a golf ball size knot everytime she got a bite. I’ve raised 3 children with it and now use it on my 13 grandchildren. I get a bottle of RUBBING ALCHOL and remove about a 1/4 cup of it. Then I pour 1 bottle of CHAMPO PHENIQUE OIL, crush 12 BAYER ASPRIN (uncoated) and pour the powder in the bottle. Shake well before each use. It will last for several years.

It releives the itch, stops the knot/whelp from coming up if you aply it soon as the bite happens, shrinks the whelp if aplied after the whelp already comes up, and the bite goes away fast. I love this and use it on myself as well. I hope it works for those of you who try it.

I have 30-40 bites on my legs and took an antihistamine or however you spell it and found no relief.. its 1:00 am and my legs itch so bad im crying, caladryl did nothing.. dont know what else to do.. cant really do anything about it because my dad wont wake up and nobody else in the house will wake to listen. i really dont know what to do…

i have heard that if you rub garlic on exposed areas of your skin it will keep blood suckers away from you as does eating it because they don’t like garlic blood and keep some in your pocket i used it didn’t pay attention but pretty sure it worked cheap to

My remedy is just after receiving bites, rub the areas with full strength vinegar a few times and let dry. Then wash the areas throughly. Apply Triple Strength Antibiotic ointment or cream to all the bites. Repeat everyday until they are gone. I only needed to do this once and my bites and itch were gone in two days.

One of the best things to do is take a shower/bath, hot or cold, doesn’t matter. Make sure you wash the mosquito bite, (since you put so much stuff on it – Toothpaste, after-bite ect.) If they itch at night, one good thing to do is have a washcloth (wet) and rub it gently down all of them to stop the itch

Use afterbite. And for some reason the way it works reapply well is to first, fill my temptation. SCRATCH IT! You want a small hole frOm where it bit you. Put on the afterbite, it will sting for 20-30 seconds, but you go to sleep like a baby after. Please try it! I hope it works!

My mom always kept aloe vera gel in the fridge so it cooled a sun burn whenever we got one. The cool gel works pretty well for bites too, and doesn’t sting if they’re already scratched open. Bactine spray (it might be a generic brand, I’m not sure) is a spray she’d used to put on our cuts scrapes and any other open wounds, which I’ve found also helps the itching. That one stings, but it heals too. Hydrogen peroxide can work, especially if the bites have been scratched open. Dab some on a q tip and apply. But that can be a long experience if you’re covered in bites. The toothepaste thing doesn’t work if its gel, it has to be actual paste. Baking soda paste can work a lot of the time. I personally like to sit in a hot bath with either bubbles or an oatmeal bath, then after a while rub aloe gel all over the effected areas and change into something lightweight and comfortable. I have problems scratching while I’m asleep, so I always wear lightweight but full coverage clothes to bed, like a long sleeved t shirt and pajama pants so I cant get to the bite in my sleep.

I have about 5 mosquito bites on my feet and having a horrible reaction so I have been taking 2 benadryl every 6 hours and icing every few hours and after putting cortisone on it the cortisone doesnt seem to work well but te Benadryl does and it helps me sleep. I heard oatmeal bath works great haven’t tried it yet though

I have just used invite vitamin E oil. It took about 10 min to work but it did work. Also you can use it if you have broken the skin and it won’t sting. Also I have heard that if you crush up strong mints and mix in walter or Betadine antiseptic solution to make a paste it will stop all itching.

Got ten of them nasty bug bites… Driving me crazy… I used after bite and cream some lotion and the ice packs. It till itches like crazy… At least it’s not as bad as the bites I had two years ago… They were as big as an egg :3 they were both actually half of an egg… But is stil the sized of an egg \(0o0)/

when in Hawaii I used alcohol and the bite went away right away. However in California were mosquito’s have to be much stronger to survive that doesn’t work. I’m a potter so clay works well to get the chemicals they inject out of your skin. Itching always makes it worse. Alaskan mosquitoes must be potent.

I went to Puerto Rico and my last day I was there I got attacked my bugs. They got me threw my jeans and didn’t know til next morning. IM not sure there mosquito bites. But holy crap they itch!! I have hundreds of bites from my thigh to my toes. I’ve never seen anything this bad.

I took a hot shower last night to try.and soothe the bites hopefully stop itching. NO!!!! Made them 10x worse. I was crying so bad. I’m going to try a lot of these to see whAtever works best. Thank u!!

The nail polish helpd thanks a lot I’m sick this pests keeping me from my sleep I look like a pineapple with all the bite marks I just hope its not gonna leave marks on my body I hate a mosquito they can be so irritating shoo can’t I spray something in my place

I´m living in the Amazon right now and I´m working in a job that doesn´t allow me to wear bug spray. I have over 250 bites. I am dying and have very little access to any of the solutions mentioned. Any suggestions?

I have heard peanut butter works and if you rub lotion really thick on bug bites it will releave you I have tryed saddle oil for horseback riding and that works too one other one is hand sanitizernit stings but works

I did not get a chance to read through everything but as a person who has horrible reactions to all bug bites the best thing I have ever come across that works best for me is dermoplast and the best thing about it is that you can spray it on and it takes effect in under five minute plus it’s a hospital grade first aid spray. I do plan on trying the lidocaine because I am out of dermoplast until I make it to the store tomorrow and the mosquitoes have already attacked me.

Apply heat as soon as the itch starts – use a cotton wool ball and very hot water (just hot enough to not burn yourself). Or you can use a hairdryer if you have lots of bites – as hot as you can bear. After that apply E45 cream to relieve itching. If the itch starts up again, apply heat again. Really strong heat kills the itch for quite some time. Alternatively, you can just scratch away until the bite oozes lymph and sometimes blood. It will scab over, and itch less (you’ll be left with an ugly scar though).

Not even joking you when I say that I have a bug bite on the bottom of my foot. Right where the tough skin is and I am so close to just lighting my feet on fire. I have tried the hot spoon trick, applying ice, rubbing alcohol, Benadryl, and mouthwash. Nothing seems to work. I have thought of just plucking it open with a pin and squeezing out the skeeter saliva but then again…it’s on the bottom of my foot and would probably only cause more pain…guess I have to wait this one out. :'(

Has anyone ever tried Bactine spray? It works wonders! When I get a mosquito bite, I usually get 3-4 in a cluster and swell pretty badly, regardless of the area (toe, forehead, arm, thigh, etc.). When I spray the Bactine spray on it, I get INSTANT relief! It takes the itch out, and by the end of the day/next morning, there’s barely any swelling at all!

At first I used the simply anti itch cream, but my bug bites were itching like CRAZY, so I started using dried soap. It was instant relief! For about five seconds. So I tried the icepack, and it numbed the area but once the ice was gone, it began to itch again. anyway to get to my point, I tried everything on this list, including cutting it open, and marking it with an x, but the only remedy that seems to work for me, and my family and friends, is toothpaste.

There is some great reading here! I am in my office at work and the only thing available to me was tape and hand sanitizer. The tape didn’t work but the sanitizer is seeming to– that is until my slacks rub against the bites…. HATE Mosquitos!

For me personally the Vicks Vaporub, the salt and water mixture (even though it burns), Nail polish, and a cold compress work the best. I would have never thought to use anything besides what I usually use, (Regular Calamine Lotion, let alone hygiene products. Thanks sooo much.